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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: ball · mug · chip · branch · drill · pop · object · fork

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. ball — a dance
  3. object — an aim
  4. drill — army training
  5. object — to protest
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pop — music
  9. object — a thing
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pop — soda
  12. mug — a face
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pop — to visit
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. chip — to eat
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. drill — a practice
  21. branch — a division
  22. mug — to rob
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. chip — for betting

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