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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: fork · deal · branch · pit · date · wound · rash · mate

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rash — a series
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. deal — to handle
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fork — in a road

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