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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pound — a weight
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. branch — a division
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. march — the month

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