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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 · pass · snap · fork · stick · chair · coach · game

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — wild animals
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pass — a permit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. game — a match
  16. snap — to click
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. chair — a leader
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. fork — to eat with

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