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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: branch · pitcher · shower · spring · fork · fan · toast · mark

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. shower — rain
  3. spring — of water
  4. shower — to wash
  5. mark — a trace
  6. spring — a coil
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. branch — a division
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spring — the season
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. toast — bread
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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