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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bear — the animal
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rock — music
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rock — a stone
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rule — a law
  21. branch — a division
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rule — government
  24. bear — to put up with

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