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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. band — a music group
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ball — a great time
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. branch — a division
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. snap — to click
  23. ball — a dance
  24. racket — for tennis

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