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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · pit · branch · dip · fork · bark · rush · saw

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bark — to shout
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. saw — the tool
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mate — to breed
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pit — in a race

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