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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. track — a song
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pop — music
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. clip — a video
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rest — what's left
  12. object — an aim
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rest — what's left
  15. clip — to cut
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rest — a break
  18. pop — soda
  19. suit — in cards
  20. track — a path
  21. object — a thing
  22. branch — a division
  23. object — to protest
  24. suit — clothes

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