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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: fork · sharp · track · court · branch · staff · dip · chip

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. track — a song
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chip — to eat
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. court — of a king
  12. branch — a division
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. chip — for betting
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. staff — a stick
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. staff — employees
  23. dip — to sink
  24. sharp — exactly

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