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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
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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: sharp · track · bat · pass · pound · fork · bore · branch

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. track — a path
  3. bore — to tire
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pass — a permit
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fork — in a road
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pound — a weight
  24. track — a song

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