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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fork — in a road
  3. present — a gift
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rash — a series
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rash — hasty
  9. present — the time now
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. perch — the fish
  12. present — there
  13. fine — high quality
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. drill — army training
  24. fine — all right

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