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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. swing — to play on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cue — a hint
  11. root — of a plant
  12. ball — a great time
  13. branch — a division
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. root — of a word
  17. bark — to shout
  18. root — the cause
  19. swing — music
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. ball — a dance
  23. swing — in golf
  24. cue — a signal

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