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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: calf · file · fork · branch · rush · pop · bowl · capital

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. fork — in a road
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. capital — a city
  6. file — a tool
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pop — to visit
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rush — hurry
  12. file — a document
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pop — soda
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. file — a line of people
  21. branch — a division
  22. capital — money
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. capital — a big letter

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