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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. saw — the tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. perch — the fish
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bank — for money
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bank — of a river
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. branch — a division
  15. degree — an amount
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. vault — a safe
  19. degree — temperature
  20. drill — army training
  21. bank — for money
  22. degree — from a university
  23. drill — a practice
  24. nail — for a hammer

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