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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: foot · land · staff · stick · sharp · bank · trunk · board

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bank — of a river
  5. staff — employees
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bank — for money
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bank — for money
  13. board — a committee
  14. foot — a measure
  15. land — a country
  16. staff — a stick
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — to get on
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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