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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. firm — decided
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. tear — from crying
  7. chip — for betting
  8. branch — a division
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bark — to shout
  11. present — a gift
  12. firm — steady
  13. chip — to eat
  14. firm — a company
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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