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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: branch · content · mine · staff · fork · ball · kid · sharp

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. kid — child
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. branch — a division
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. ball — a great time
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. staff — employees
  14. kid — to tease
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. staff — a stick
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. staff — employees
  19. content — the amount
  20. sharp — clever
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. sharp — exactly

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