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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: band · fork · branch · foot · drill · file · net · bore

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fork — in a road
  3. net — for catching
  4. file — a tool
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. branch — a division
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. file — a line of people
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bore — to drill
  20. drill — a practice
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bore — to tire

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