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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: suit · mouse · fork · tear · content · pitcher · branch · stem

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. content — the amount
  4. suit — to fit
  5. tear — from crying
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. branch — a division
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fork — in a road
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pitcher — a jug

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