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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bank — of a river
  5. board — a committee
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bank — for money
  15. bound — obliged
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bank — for money
  19. board — to get on
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. branch — a division
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. branch — of a bank

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