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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.

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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: stick · board · clip · branch · coach · fork · wound · suit

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wound — an injury
  3. clip — for paper
  4. board — to get on
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. clip — to cut
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fork — in a road
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. clip — a video
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. branch — a division
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. board — a committee
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fork — to eat with

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