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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bear — the animal
  6. land — to come down
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. land — a country
  20. branch — a division
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. land — ground
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bark — of a tree

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