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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. shower — to wash
  11. key — in music
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. prune — to trim
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bark — of a tree

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