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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: date · temple · court · wave · tear · branch · stock · fork

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. court — of law
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. court — of a king
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. stock — shares
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. branch — a division
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. court — for sport
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. date — the fruit
  18. tear — from crying
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fork — in a road
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stock — goods
  24. fork — a garden tool

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