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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 116 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wake — a trail
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stem — to come from
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. scale — in music
  11. fall — the season
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cell — a phone
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. scale — size or range

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