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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: stem · branch · spring · stick · pitcher · ground · fork · race

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. spring — of water
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ground — the earth
  8. race — the arms race
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ground — a position
  20. spring — the season
  21. branch — a division
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ground — crushed

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