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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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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: fork · branch · sharp · pass · stick · ground · trunk · club

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. sharp — clever
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. branch — a division
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ground — crushed
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ground — a position
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fork — to eat with

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