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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: staff · date · bark · bowl · pass · stick · file · branch

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pass — a permit
  6. file — a document
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. file — a line of people
  9. staff — a stick
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. date — the fruit
  14. staff — employees
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. branch — a division
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. file — a tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. staff — employees
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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