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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: march · rock · mouse · ruler · mine · branch · content · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. march — the month
  9. rock — music
  10. march — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mine — for digging
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. content — the amount
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. content — happy
  21. branch — a division
  22. march — the month
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mine — an explosive

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