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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 124 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bark — to shout
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. track — a song
  14. net — in sport
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. net — for catching
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. net — after costs
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. track — a path

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