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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. fine — all right
  12. rash — hasty
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fork — in a road
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rash — a series
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cue — a signal
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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