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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ground — the earth
  9. object — a thing
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rock — music
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. object — to protest
  18. ground — a position
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. branch — a division
  24. object — an aim

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