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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: swing · capital · mine · fork · race · ball · mark · branch

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. ball — a great time
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. race — humankind
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. race — a contest
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ball — a dance
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. branch — a division
  12. swing — music
  13. capital — a city
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. race — the arms race
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. capital — money
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fork — to eat with

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