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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 124 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. track — a path
  6. branch — a division
  7. rest — a break
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. object — to protest
  11. track — a song
  12. object — a thing
  13. court — for sport
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rest — what's left
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bear — the animal
  18. court — of law
  19. perch — the fish
  20. board — to get on
  21. court — of a king
  22. rest — what's left
  23. object — an aim
  24. board — a committee

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