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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. staff — a stick
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. race — a contest
  5. deal — to handle
  6. kid — child
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bank — for money
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. staff — employees
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. staff — employees
  17. bank — of a river
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. band — a music group
  23. bank — for money
  24. perch — the fish

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