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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. present — a gift
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pound — a weight
  9. present — the time now
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. board — to get on
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. branch — a division
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. board — a committee
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mouse — for a computer

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