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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: pound · calf · date · mark · branch · content · bark · rock

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rock — music
  7. content — the amount
  8. date — the fruit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pound — a weight
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. branch — a division
  18. bark — to shout
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. content — happy
  23. mark — a grade
  24. branch — of a bank

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