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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: fork · spring · deal · branch · cue · craft · pitcher · ground

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cue — a signal
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. spring — of water
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fork — in a road
  12. craft — boats
  13. ground — a position
  14. cue — for pool
  15. craft — a skill
  16. branch — a division
  17. deal — to handle
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — the season
  22. cue — a hint
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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