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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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. race — the arms race
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. branch — a division
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. net — after costs
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. race — a contest
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. race — humankind

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