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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. row — to paddle
  3. branch — a division
  4. ball — a great time
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ball — a dance
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bark — to shout
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bulb — for light
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. key — for a lock
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. key — in music
  22. row — a line
  23. key — the most important part
  24. branch — of a tree

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