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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 120 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: mark · kick · club · fork · branch · hand · game · stand

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. kick — in football
  3. mark — a grade
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. game — a match
  9. club — for golf
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. hand — help
  12. club — a group
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stand — to bear
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. kick — with a leg
  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