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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. field — farmland
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mug — a cup
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. field — a subject
  8. mug — to rob
  9. branch — a division
  10. mate — a friend
  11. land — to come down
  12. vault — a safe
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. field — for sport
  15. mate — a partner
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mate — to breed
  18. squash — to crush
  19. land — ground
  20. perch — the fish
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. land — a country
  24. mug — a face

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