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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. suit — to fit
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. swing — music
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. swing — in golf
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mine — for digging
  18. swing — to play on
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bark — to shout
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bulb — for light

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