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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.

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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: perch · branch · wound · stick · ground · bore · root · fork

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. perch — the fish
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. root — of a plant
  16. ground — a position
  17. branch — a division
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bore — to drill
  20. root — of a word
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ground — the earth
  23. root — the cause
  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