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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. tear — from crying
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. can — to be able to
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. can — a tin
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. object — a thing
  11. tear — to rip
  12. content — the amount
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. object — an aim
  15. content — happy
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. object — to protest
  22. tear — from crying
  23. perch — the fish
  24. can — a tin

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