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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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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: ground · kick · foot · branch · trunk · stand · fork · bark

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. foot — a measure
  5. kick — in football
  6. ground — a position
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fork — in a road
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bark — to shout
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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