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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: spell · suit · fork · bat · cue · net · branch · foot

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. net — after costs
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bat — the animal
  7. foot — a measure
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cue — a hint
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. suit — to fit
  24. branch — of a tree

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