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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. perch — the fish
  3. press — newspapers
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. branch — a division
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ball — a dance
  8. press — a publisher
  9. court — of a king
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. court — for sport
  15. press — to push
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. kid — to tease
  20. ball — a great time
  21. squash — to crush
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. court — of law
  24. kid — child

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