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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: cap · coach · scale · fork · foot · ground · branch · tube

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. scale — in music
  5. ground — a position
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. tube — the underground
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. foot — a measure
  12. ground — the earth
  13. cap — a lid
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ground — crushed
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. tube — a container

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