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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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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: board · jam · bark · stick · branch · staff · fan · bulb

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bulb — for light
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. board — a committee
  8. staff — employees
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. staff — employees
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. board — to get on
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bark — 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