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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · bay · fork · branch · track · spell · chair · season

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. track — a path
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fork — in a road
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. season — of the year
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. track — to keep track
  17. branch — a division
  18. spell — a short time
  19. season — in sport
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. track — a song
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. chair — to sit on

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