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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. march — music
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. march — the month
  8. perch — the fish
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mate — a partner
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. root — of a word
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. branch — a division
  15. root — of a plant
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. root — the cause
  18. tube — a container
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. march — the month
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mate — a friend
  24. coach — a trainer

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