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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: arm · spell · foot · hand · bass · capital · branch · fork

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. capital — money
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. hand — help
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spell — letters
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. branch — a division
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. capital — a city
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. bass — low music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. spell — a short time

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