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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bound — certain
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. net — for catching
  10. bound — obliged
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. branch — a division
  13. net — after costs
  14. mark — a trace
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bulb — for light
  18. net — in sport

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