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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rock — a stone
  10. ground — crushed
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rock — music
  13. ground — a position
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. field — farmland
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. field — for sport
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. field — a subject
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bark — to shout

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