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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: toast · pass · branch · kid · fork · rush · bowl · pop

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. toast — bread
  7. pop — soda
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pop — to visit
  12. kid — to tease
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pop — music
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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