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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. row — a line
  4. net — after costs
  5. drill — army training
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. current — of water
  8. net — for catching
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. current — electric
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. row — to paddle
  15. dip — to sink
  16. current — happening now
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bark — to shout
  19. net — in sport
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. drill — the tool

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