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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: file · jam · bark · staff · net · calf · branch · stock

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. file — a tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stock — shares
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. stock — goods
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. net — after costs
  17. branch — a division
  18. net — in sport
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. file — a document
  21. net — for catching
  22. staff — employees
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. calf — a young animal

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