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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. game — wild animals
  8. spring — of water
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. charge — in control
  11. prune — to trim
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bank — for money
  15. wound — an injury
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bark — to shout
  18. game — a match
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bank — for money
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. charge — a price
  23. bank — of a river
  24. prune — to trim

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