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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 116 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: key · pitcher · branch · ball · firm · fork · kid · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fall — to drop
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. fall — the season
  9. firm — decided
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. key — in music
  14. firm — a company
  15. ball — a great time
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. firm — steady
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. branch — a division
  24. ball — a dance

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