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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: bay · content · pop · fork · mark · pitch · branch · patient

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pitch — completely
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pop — soda
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pop — music
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. content — the amount
  12. branch — a division
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. content — happy
  16. mark — a grade
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mark — a trace
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mark — to pay attention

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