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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 120 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: bowl · wound · racket · rash · chip · wax · fork · branch

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. branch — a division
  12. wound — an injury
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fork — in a road
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rash — a series

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