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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. branch — a division
  3. perch — the fish
  4. suit — to fit
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. club — a group
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. club — for golf
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rash — a series
  13. suit — clothes
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rash — hasty
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spell — magic
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. spell — letters

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