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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. present — the time now
  7. branch — a division
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — in sport
  15. present — there
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bear — the animal
  19. net — for catching
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. present — a gift
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. racket — a loud noise

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