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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: vault · branch · bark · mark · staff · sharp · mug · field

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. field — farmland
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. branch — a division
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mug — a face
  13. staff — employees
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mug — to rob
  17. staff — a stick
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mark — a grade
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. staff — employees

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