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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: land · bear · suit · pit · branch · race · face · bark

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — in a race
  6. race — humankind
  7. pit — a hole
  8. race — a contest
  9. bark — to shout
  10. race — the arms race
  11. face — to confront
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. face — part of the head
  15. land — to come down
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. suit — to fit
  19. face — to point toward
  20. branch — a division
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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