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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 120 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. club — a group
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. deal — to handle
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — for golf
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bark — to shout
  11. club — for dancing
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. race — a contest
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. race — humankind
  20. branch — a division
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rock — a stone
  24. deal — an agreement

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