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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. fork — in a road
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. branch — a division
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mark — a trace
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. chair — a leader
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rest — what's left
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. board — a committee
  19. wound — an injury
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mark — a grade
  23. board — to get on
  24. foot — a measure

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