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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: can · mark · stick · sharp · spell · bark · branch · field

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. can — a tin
  3. branch — a division
  4. can — a tin
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mark — a trace
  8. can — to be able to
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. spell — a short time
  11. field — for sport
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. spell — magic
  17. field — farmland
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mark — a grade
  20. field — a subject
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. spell — letters
  24. sharp — clever

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