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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: key · mark · branch · bat · hand · tear · fork · mouse

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mark — a trace
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. tear — from crying
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bat — the animal
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. key — for a lock
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tear — to rip
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. key — in music
  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