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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: scale · chip · race · cap · stick · fork · branch · row

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. branch — a division
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chip — for betting
  7. race — a contest
  8. cap — of ice
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chip — to eat
  13. scale — size or range
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cap — a hat
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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