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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 116 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 · board · bore · spring · mug · leaves · court · fork

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mug — a cup
  7. branch — a division
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. court — of a king
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mug — a face
  14. spring — of water
  15. court — for sport
  16. board — a committee
  17. court — of law
  18. board — to get on
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. spring — the season
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bore — to drill

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