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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · bulb · band · stem · fork · stick · sharp · bark

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. stem — to come from
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. staff — employees
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. sharp — clever
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bark — to shout
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. staff — employees
  24. fork — in a road

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