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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 dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. staff — a stick
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. staff — employees
  8. drill — army training
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. drill — the tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bark — to shout
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. drill — a practice
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. staff — employees
  20. bound — obliged
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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