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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 124 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rock — a stone
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mate — a partner
  7. scale — size or range
  8. file — a line of people
  9. branch — a division
  10. file — a document
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. file — a tool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. scale — in music
  21. rock — music
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stem — to come from

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