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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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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: fork · charge · kick · cell · branch · object · bear · bat

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. kick — in football
  3. charge — in control
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fork — in a road
  7. object — to protest
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. object — a thing
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bear — the animal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bat — the animal
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. object — an aim
  23. charge — a price
  24. kick — a thrill

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