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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. march — the month
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. game — a match
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. game — wild animals
  11. court — of a king
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. march — music
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. march — the month
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. branch — a division
  24. pitcher — a jug

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