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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: bark · fork · stick · staff · mate · land · rash · stem

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. land — a country
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. land — to come down
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rash — a series
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rash — hasty
  10. staff — employees
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. staff — employees
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mate — a friend
  20. land — ground
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. staff — a stick

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