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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 116 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: hand · cabinet · pit · lash · root · club · fork · branch

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pit — in a race
  3. root — of a word
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. branch — a division
  9. pit — a hole
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. root — the cause
  14. club — for dancing
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. root — of a plant
  17. club — for golf
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. club — a group
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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