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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: bear · track · pass · bark · staff · hand · stock · fork

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. track — a song
  3. stock — shares
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bear — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bear — the animal
  17. staff — a stick
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stock — goods
  22. pass — a permit
  23. staff — employees
  24. hand — part of the body

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