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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. spell — letters
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chip — to eat
  8. spell — magic
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. board — to get on
  14. chip — for betting
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. deal — to handle
  17. board — a committee
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bore — to tire

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