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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — in sport
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pop — music
  7. net — after costs
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bank — for money
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. net — for catching
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rock — music
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rock — a stone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pop — soda
  21. branch — a division
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bank — of a river
  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