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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: branch · mark · vault · perch · pitcher · object · snap · land

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. vault — a safe
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. land — a country
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. land — ground
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mark — a grade
  16. object — a thing
  17. land — to come down
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. branch — a division
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mark — a trace

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