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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.

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: board · fork · calf · chair · prune · bore · tube · branch

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bore — to tire
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fork — in a road
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — to get on
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — a container
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bore — to drill
  20. branch — a division
  21. prune — to trim
  22. board — a committee
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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