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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bank — of a river
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rash — a series
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bear — the animal
  7. club — a group
  8. board — a committee
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bank — for money
  11. rash — hasty
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. board — to get on
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. branch — a division
  19. bank — for money
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ground — a position
  24. branch — of a bank

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