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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fork — in a road
  4. current — of water
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bound — certain
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. bound — tied together
  16. degree — from a university
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. current — electric
  20. degree — temperature
  21. current — happening now
  22. degree — an amount
  23. rush — a thrill
  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