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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: rush · branch · court · mark · pit · face · pitcher · fork

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. court — of law
  8. pit — in a race
  9. court — of a king
  10. branch — a division
  11. face — to point toward
  12. court — for sport
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. face — to confront
  24. mark — to pay attention

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