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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. net — after costs
  4. march — the month
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fall — the season
  8. march — music
  9. net — for catching
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fork — in a road
  12. branch — a division
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. fall — to drop
  17. net — in sport
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. march — the month
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fall — to drop
  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