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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mug — to rob
  6. spring — the season
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. court — for sport
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. saw — the tool
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. branch — a division
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mug — a face
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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