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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. branch — a division
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cue — a hint
  5. row — to paddle
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. row — a line
  12. pop — to visit
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rock — music
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. net — in sport
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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