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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 120 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: cue · branch · suit · chest · mark · clip · current · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cue — a hint
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cue — for pool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. current — of water
  8. mark — a trace
  9. suit — clothes
  10. chest — of your body
  11. current — electric
  12. fork — in a road
  13. current — happening now
  14. clip — a video
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mark — a grade
  20. clip — for paper
  21. chest — a box
  22. cue — a signal
  23. clip — to cut
  24. branch — a division

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