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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 bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. rock — a stone
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. land — ground
  8. land — to come down
  9. mark — a grade
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rock — music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mark — a trace
  16. chip — to eat
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bark — to shout
  21. chip — for betting
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. land — a country
  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