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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 120 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pop — music
  12. pit — a hole
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. file — a tool
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. file — a document
  20. rush — hurry
  21. branch — a division
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pitcher — a jug

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