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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: fork · jam · key · firm · bound · march · stick · branch

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. march — the month
  3. bound — certain
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. firm — decided
  6. key — in music
  7. firm — a company
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. march — the month
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. march — music
  14. bound — obliged
  15. firm — steady
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. key — the most important part
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. branch — a division
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fork — in a road
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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