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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. current — electric
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. row — a line
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bank — for money
  12. branch — a division
  13. row — to paddle
  14. staff — employees
  15. bank — of a river
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. staff — employees
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — of water
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. current — happening now
  24. pound — for dogs

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