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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
468
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: cap · bulb · branch · bark · season · dip · swing · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cap — a lid
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. swing — in golf
  12. dip — to sink
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. branch — a division
  18. swing — music
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bark — to shout
  22. swing — to play on
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bulb — for light

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