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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
468
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: branch · bark · pit · kick · fine · ground · object · lean

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pit — in a race
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. object — a thing
  8. ground — the earth
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lean — thin
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lean — to bend
  18. kick — in football
  19. object — an aim
  20. fine — all right
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fine — high quality
  24. object — to protest

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