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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
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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 · hide · tube · branch · hand · fork · cap · squash

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — a division
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. ball — a great time
  12. squash — to crush
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cap — a lid
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cap — of ice

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