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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. branch — a division
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. chip — to eat
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. race — a contest
  23. date — the fruit
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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