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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: bay · spell · chair · rule · branch · foot · season · fork

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fork — in a road
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. spell — magic
  11. rule — a law
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. season — of the year
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. season — in sport
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. branch — a division
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. spell — letters
  24. rule — government

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