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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
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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: current · bowl · branch · last · bark · straw · drill · pit

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. last — to go on
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. last — finally
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. current — happening now
  8. branch — a division
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. current — of water
  13. bark — to shout
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. last — final
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pit — in a race
  20. drill — the tool
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. current — electric
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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