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

Word bank: branch · wind · fork · jam · stick · band · cabinet · race

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. band — a ring
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. band — a music group
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wind — moving air
  14. race — the arms race
  15. branch — a division
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. race — humankind
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. race — a contest
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wind — moving air
  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