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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: suit · branch · bark · mine · club · spring · mark · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. club — for dancing
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. club — a group
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. club — for golf
  14. spring — of water
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mine — for digging
  24. branch — a division

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