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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spring — of water
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. track — to keep track
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. spring — the season
  14. ground — a position
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. spring — a coil
  17. stock — goods
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stock — shares
  20. track — a path
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. track — a song
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

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