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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 116 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. bark — to shout
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bass — low music
  18. can — a tin
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bass — the fish
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. can — a tin

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