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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 124 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. object — a thing
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bound — obliged
  8. object — an aim
  9. mate — a partner
  10. object — to protest
  11. bound — certain
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fork — in a road
  17. branch — a division
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bulb — for light

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