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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. branch — a division
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bass — low music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. perch — the fish
  13. drill — the tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. drill — army training
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pit — a fruit stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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