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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: firm · ball · pound · press · branch · rock · sharp · fork

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fork — in a road
  5. firm — a company
  6. branch — a division
  7. firm — steady
  8. rock — music
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pound — a weight
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. press — to push
  17. ball — a dance
  18. sharp — clever
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. firm — decided
  24. ball — a great time

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