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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. key — the most important part
  5. game — a match
  6. branch — a division
  7. key — for a lock
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. root — the cause
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. key — in music
  20. fork — in a road
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bark — to shout
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pass — a permit

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