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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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Word bank
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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pit — in a race
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wind — moving air
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. branch — a division
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. club — a group
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. roll — a list
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. club — for golf
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fork — to eat with

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