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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: sharp · branch · bark · board · content · saw · bulb · kick

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. branch — a division
  4. saw — the tool
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. content — happy
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. board — to get on
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. saw — the tool
  13. board — a committee
  14. content — the amount
  15. kick — in football
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bulb — for light
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. sharp — clever
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bark — to shout

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