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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. can — to be able to
  4. branch — a division
  5. rash — a series
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rash — hasty
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. march — the month
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. march — music
  16. can — a tin
  17. march — the month
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. can — a tin
  23. ground — a position
  24. prune — to trim

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