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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: cue · fork · content · branch · wake · net · object · fan

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. content — the amount
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. net — after costs
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. wake — a trail
  18. net — for catching
  19. object — to protest
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. content — happy
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. net — in sport

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