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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. sharp — clever
  3. key — in music
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. firm — a company
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. march — music
  10. plane — a tool
  11. march — the month
  12. key — the most important part
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. firm — steady
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ball — a dance
  17. march — the month
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. firm — decided
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bark — to shout

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