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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: pitcher · nail · wound · track · face · branch · fork · pop

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pop — music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. track — a path
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pop — to visit
  11. face — to confront
  12. fork — in a road
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pop — soda
  19. wound — an injury
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. track — a song
  24. fork — a garden tool

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