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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: branch · dip · staff · racket · kid · fork · fan · hide

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. staff — employees
  4. fork — in a road
  5. staff — a stick
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. staff — employees
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. kid — child
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kid — to tease
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fan — to cool the air

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