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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. march — the month
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cue — a hint
  10. march — the month
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cue — a signal
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. march — music
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. branch — 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