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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. game — a match
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. date — the fruit
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. mate — a partner
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mate — to breed
  19. craft — a skill
  20. band — a music group
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. branch — a division
  23. band — a ring
  24. mate — a friend

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