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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bank — for money
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. degree — an amount
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. perch — the fish
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. degree — from a university
  19. race — the arms race
  20. degree — temperature
  21. object — to protest
  22. club — for dancing
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. branch — a division

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