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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. branch — a division
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. club — for golf
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. saw — the tool
  9. club — a group
  10. current — happening now
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. perch — the fish
  14. current — of water
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. current — electric
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. swing — in golf
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. club — for dancing

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