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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. court — of law
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. court — for sport
  5. present — a gift
  6. saw — the tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. branch — a division
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rule — a law
  15. present — there
  16. court — of a king
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rule — government
  24. bark — of a tree

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