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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: last · roll · scale · fine · fork · swing · branch · lie

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. last — finally
  3. fine — high quality
  4. swing — in golf
  5. scale — in music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. last — final
  8. swing — to play on
  9. roll — a cake
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. last — to go on
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. roll — a list
  16. swing — music
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fine — all right
  19. branch — a division
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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