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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 120 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: file · racket · fork · sharp · cap · branch · arm · mate

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fork — in a road
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. branch — a division
  6. mate — to breed
  7. sharp — clever
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. file — a line of people
  11. mate — a partner
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cap — a lid
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mate — a friend
  23. arm — a part of something
  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