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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: bark · dip · object · club · stick · branch · racket · tube

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bark — to shout
  4. club — a group
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. branch — a division
  11. object — to protest
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tube — the underground
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. object — an aim
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. object — a thing
  23. club — for golf
  24. racket — for tennis

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