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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: stick · branch · fork · ruler · content · staff · club · bear

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. club — for golf
  5. fork — in a road
  6. club — a group
  7. bear — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. club — for dancing
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. content — the amount
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. branch — a division
  23. content — happy
  24. bear — the animal

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