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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: ruler · season · branch · plane · bark · present · mark · net

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. season — of the year
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. net — for catching
  6. plane — a tool
  7. branch — a division
  8. present — there
  9. net — after costs
  10. mark — a trace
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. net — in sport
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. present — a gift
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bark — to shout
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. present — the time now
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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