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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. drill — army training
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. bank — for money
  9. branch — a division
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bark — to shout
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ball — a great time
  17. squash — the sport
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bank — for money
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bank — of a river
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bat — the animal
  24. drill — the tool

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