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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. branch — a division
  3. bark — to shout
  4. prune — to trim
  5. file — a document
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. root — of a word
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. root — of a plant
  16. file — a tool
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. bank — for money
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. root — the cause
  24. fine — high quality

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