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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 120 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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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: tear · mouse · branch · bark · fork · bass · safe · pit

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. branch — a division
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bass — low music
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bass — the fish
  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