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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: mug · branch · cue · last · fork · vault · kid · perch

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. branch — a division
  3. kid — child
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. last — finally
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. last — final
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. vault — a safe
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. kid — to tease
  20. cue — a signal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mug — to rob
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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