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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. net — for catching
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. march — music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. march — the month
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rush — hurry
  12. branch — a division
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. net — in sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. net — after costs
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. march — the month
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. branch — of a bank

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