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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. race — a contest
  9. craft — boats
  10. fine — all right
  11. bark — to shout
  12. race — the arms race
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. race — humankind
  17. cue — for pool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. track — a song
  23. branch — a division
  24. cue — a hint

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