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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 · bowl · mouse · branch · mark · spell · spring · race

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. spring — of water
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. spell — magic
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. race — humankind
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. race — a contest
  14. mark — a grade
  15. spell — letters
  16. spring — the season
  17. spell — a short time
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mouse — the animal

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