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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · mug · calf · pitcher · wave · branch

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mug — a face
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mug — to rob
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. branch — a division
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wave — with your hand

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