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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rock — music
  6. stock — goods
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stock — shares
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rock — a stone
  17. object — to protest
  18. wax — to grow
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. object — a thing
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. branch — a division

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