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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: stick · mouse · branch · staff · fork · dip

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fork — in a road
  3. staff — employees
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. branch — a division
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fork — a garden tool

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