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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 120 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: rush · branch · bark · hand · cue · firm · fork · pop

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pop — soda
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. hand — in cards
  8. branch — a division
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pop — music
  14. hand — help
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. firm — a company
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pop — to visit
  24. branch — of a tree

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