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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: toast · hand · last · bark · pass · club · rock · branch

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. club — for golf
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rock — music
  12. branch — a division
  13. hand — help
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. club — a group
  20. bark — to shout
  21. club — for dancing
  22. toast — bread
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. last — final

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