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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bark — to shout
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fall — the season
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bass — low music
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mate — to breed
  18. branch — a division
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fork — a garden tool

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