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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. current — happening now
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pop — music
  19. row — a line
  20. current — of water
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. current — electric

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