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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. content — the amount
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. game — a match
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. branch — a division
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mate — to breed
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. game — wild animals
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. content — happy
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. branch — of a tree

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