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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 · fork · hide · game · fall · pit · racket · leaves

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fork — in a road
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. game — a match
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. branch — a division
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fall — the season
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. game — wild animals

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