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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: bowl · sharp · bulb · branch · rush · track · rest · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. branch — a division
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rest — a break
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rest — what's left
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rest — what's left
  21. track — a song
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — a path

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