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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mark — a grade
  4. firm — a company
  5. march — the month
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bark — to shout
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. march — music
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rock — music
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. march — the month
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. sharp — clever
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. prune — to trim
  20. firm — steady
  21. rock — a stone
  22. firm — decided
  23. branch — a division
  24. rock — to move gently

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