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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 120 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mark — a trace
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. kick — in football
  10. game — wild animals
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mark — a grade
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fine — all right
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bark — to shout

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