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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. net — in sport
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. net — for catching
  11. bulb — for light
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bore — to tire
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. net — after costs
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com