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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bound — certain
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. board — a committee
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bark — to shout
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. board — to get on
  16. branch — a division
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bound — tied together
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bound — obliged

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