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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · fine · ball · cue · fork · hide · branch · spring

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fine — high quality
  8. branch — a division
  9. last — final
  10. fork — in a road
  11. cue — a hint
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. ball — a dance
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cue — for pool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fine — all right
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cue — a signal

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