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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. charge — electricity
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bound — certain
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. root — of a word
  12. pit — in a race
  13. charge — a price
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. root — the cause
  16. charge — in control
  17. branch — a division
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pit — a hole

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