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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. firm — steady
  3. net — for catching
  4. perch — the fish
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. club — for golf
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. net — after costs
  11. row — a line
  12. branch — a division
  13. club — for dancing
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. net — in sport
  16. snap — to click
  17. firm — a company
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. can — a tin
  22. row — to paddle
  23. club — a group
  24. firm — decided

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