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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 · lean · fork · object · track · bound · jam · racket

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. lean — to bend
  3. object — to protest
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. object — a thing
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — tied together
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. track — a path
  13. lean — thin
  14. track — to keep track
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bound — certain
  18. object — an aim
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. track — a song
  21. bound — obliged
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

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