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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: date · row · track · fork · vault · branch · roll · wake

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. branch — of a tree
  2. roll — a list
  3. date — the fruit
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. row — to paddle
  8. track — a song
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fork — in a road
  13. branch — a division
  14. row — a line
  15. wake — a trail
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. track — to keep track
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. track — a path
  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