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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: fork · kid · mug · branch · lie · spring · court · pass

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. spring — the season
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mug — a face
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mug — to rob
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. court — of a king
  11. spring — of water
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kid — to tease
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. court — of law
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lie — to recline
  22. court — for sport
  23. kid — child
  24. branch — a division

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