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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: fork · spell · season · ruler · stem · pitch · branch · last

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spell — magic
  5. branch — a division
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. last — to go on
  9. season — of the year
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. last — final
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pitch — completely
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. last — finally
  21. season — in sport
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. spell — letters
  24. fork — to eat with

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