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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cue — a signal
  10. land — ground
  11. perch — the fish
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. branch — a division

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