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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.

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 · can · bark · branch · bore · current · chair · swing

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. can — a tin
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. current — electric
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. current — happening now
  16. can — to be able to
  17. current — of water
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — a division
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bore — to drill
  24. swing — music

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