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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. fine — all right
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. band — a ring
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fine — high quality
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. field — for sport
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. field — a subject
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. branch — a division
  20. stem — to come from
  21. perch — the fish
  22. field — farmland
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. band — a music group

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