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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chest — a box
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chest — of your body
  10. court — of a king
  11. prune — to trim
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fork — in a road
  24. prune — to trim

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