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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. saw — the tool
  5. branch — a division
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. charge — a price
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. charge — electricity
  15. perch — the fish
  16. race — a contest
  17. charge — in control
  18. spring — of water
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. race — the arms race
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. race — humankind
  24. branch — of a tree

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