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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. 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. bark — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fork — in a road
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. 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