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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: sharp · fork · season · row · branch · bear · bowl · band

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. band — a ring
  3. fork — in a road
  4. row — a line
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. row — to paddle
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. branch — a division
  13. season — of the year
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bear — the animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. band — a music group
  19. season — in sport
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. branch — of a tree

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