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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. branch — a division
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. fine — high quality
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cue — a hint
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. chair — a leader
  21. file — a document
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. cue — a signal
  24. fork — a garden tool

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