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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: saw · fork · club · pit · branch · rush · mug · hand

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. club — a group
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. hand — help
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rush — hurry
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. branch — a division
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pit — in a race
  18. hand — in cards
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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