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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. race — humankind
  6. current — electric
  7. fine — high quality
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. scale — in music
  11. bark — to shout
  12. race — a contest
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. race — the arms race
  15. chair — a leader
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. fine — all right
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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