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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: fine · roll · stem · bound · object · branch · file · fork

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. fine — all right
  4. branch — a division
  5. roll — a list
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. object — a thing
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. fork — in a road
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. object — an aim

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