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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bat — the animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cell — a phone
  24. fork — to eat with

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