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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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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: cell · object · content · stick · staff · bark

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. content — happy
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. object — to protest
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. content — the amount
  14. bark — to shout
  15. staff — employees
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. staff — employees

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