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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. club — for dancing
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. march — music
  7. craft — a skill
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. march — the month
  12. craft — boats
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. club — for golf
  17. fork — in a road
  18. root — the cause
  19. staff — employees
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. branch — a division
  23. club — a group
  24. march — the month

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