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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bank — for money
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. branch — a division
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. chest — of your body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chest — of your body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stock — goods
  18. chest — a box
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stock — shares
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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