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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
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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: ruler · court · fine · fork · cabinet · prune · branch · pitch

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pitch — completely
  8. court — of a king
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. court — for sport
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. court — of law
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fine — all right
  24. cabinet — ministers

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