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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bark — to shout
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cue — for pool
  10. branch — a division
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. present — a gift
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cue — a hint
  16. spell — letters
  17. present — the time now
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bound — certain
  22. spell — magic
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. present — there

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