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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: bear · branch · content · pit · fork · last · nail · stem

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. pit — a hole
  9. content — the amount
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fork — in a road
  17. last — to go on
  18. stem — to come from
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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