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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: fork · hide · branch · row · hand · racket · leaves · chip

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. branch — a division
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. chip — for betting
  6. row — to paddle
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. hand — in cards
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chip — to eat
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. hand — help
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. row — a line
  24. fork — a garden tool

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