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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: board · arm · ball · object · jam · fork · branch · fall

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. branch — a division
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. ball — a dance
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fork — in a road
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. board — a committee
  15. object — a thing
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. object — an aim
  18. fall — to drop
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. object — to protest
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. board — to get on
  24. fall — the season

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