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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: sharp · branch · hide · current · fork · date · march · mug

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. current — happening now
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. fork — in a road
  7. current — electric
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. current — of water
  15. march — music
  16. mug — to rob
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. branch — a division
  22. sharp — clever
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. march — the month

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