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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mug — to rob
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. net — after costs
  6. perch — the fish
  7. branch — a division
  8. mug — a cup
  9. can — a tin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. can — to be able to
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mug — a face
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stem — to come from
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. net — in sport
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. net — for catching
  23. rule — government
  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