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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. can — a tin
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. can — a tin
  9. bat — the animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lean — to bend
  12. scale — in music
  13. branch — a division
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lean — thin
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. can — to be able to

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