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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: march · rest · branch · current · fork · bound · season · spell

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. current — of water
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. march — music
  6. bound — certain
  7. rest — a break
  8. current — happening now
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. season — of the year
  12. branch — a division
  13. current — electric
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rest — what's left
  16. season — in sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. spell — letters
  19. march — the month
  20. fork — in a road
  21. march — the month
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rest — what's left

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