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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.

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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. club — a group
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. perch — the fish
  8. spring — the season
  9. club — for dancing
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. club — for golf
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spring — of water
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. season — of the year
  20. branch — a division
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. season — in sport
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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