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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · pound · ground · fine · branch · bore · kick · jam

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pound — a weight
  6. fine — all right
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bore — to tire
  11. kick — in football
  12. ground — a position
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. branch — a division
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fine — high quality
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. ground — the earth
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bore — gave birth

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