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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 · toast · content · firm · branch · wave

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. firm — a company
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. content — the amount
  7. toast — bread
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. firm — decided
  11. perch — the fish
  12. branch — a division
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. firm — steady

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