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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. court — of law
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bass — low music
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. kick — in football
  14. bass — the fish
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. foot — a measure
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bark — to shout
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. branch — a division
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. foot — part of the body

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