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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.

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: bulb · branch · pitch · fork · bore · march · bark · last

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. branch — a division
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. march — the month
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pitch — completely
  17. march — music
  18. last — final
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bark — to shout
  22. last — finally
  23. bulb — for light
  24. last — to go on

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