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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. charge — electricity
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. root — of a word
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. root — of a plant
  16. branch — a division
  17. charge — in control
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. charge — a price
  21. file — a tool
  22. root — the cause
  23. file — a document
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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