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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · cue · tube · lie · branch · mate · field · ball

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cue — a hint
  6. field — for sport
  7. branch — a division
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tube — a container
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. field — farmland
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mate — a partner
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. field — a subject
  21. tube — the underground
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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