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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bank — for money
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bank — for money
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cap — a hat
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. suit — to fit
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bank — of a river
  23. craft — boats
  24. perch — for a bird

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