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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. branch — a division
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — the animal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. perch — the fish
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. perch — for a bird

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