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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 116 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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. ball — a great time
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kid — to tease
  13. ball — a dance
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. perch — the fish
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bowl — a football final

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