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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mine — for digging
  7. key — in music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pop — music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pop — soda
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stock — shares
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stock — goods
  24. mine — an explosive

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