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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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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: track · stem · saw · rash · branch · mouse · bark · capital

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. track — a path
  3. bark — to shout
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. track — to keep track
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stem — to come from
  10. capital — a city
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. track — a song
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. branch — a division
  22. capital — money
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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