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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bark — to shout
  3. branch — a division
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. shower — rain
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — to wash
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. branch — of a bank

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