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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. kid — child
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. kid — to tease
  18. degree — temperature
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. degree — from a university
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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