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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: stem · branch · cue · stick · sharp · drill · field · bank

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. drill — army training
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. field — for sport
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. branch — a division
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stem — to come from
  16. field — a subject
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cue — for pool
  19. field — farmland
  20. bank — for money
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bank — for money
  23. sharp — clever
  24. drill — a practice

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