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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · fork · mouse · lash · branch · net · dip · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. land — a country
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. dip — to sink
  9. branch — a division
  10. land — to come down
  11. net — after costs
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. fork — in a road
  19. net — in sport
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. game — wild animals
  22. land — ground
  23. net — for catching
  24. dip — to dunk

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