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

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. can — a tin
  5. rash — a series
  6. march — music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. march — the month
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. press — newspapers
  13. current — electric
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. can — a tin
  16. press — a publisher
  17. march — the month
  18. press — to push
  19. branch — a division
  20. bear — the animal
  21. current — of water
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. current — happening now
  24. can — to be able to

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