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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. net — after costs
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. craft — boats
  11. branch — a division
  12. net — in sport
  13. mug — a cup
  14. net — for catching
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bear — the animal
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mug — a face
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pop — music
  24. rush — to hurry

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