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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 · bowl · bear · content · firm · field · branch · bulb

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. field — farmland
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. firm — decided
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. firm — steady
  13. bulb — for light
  14. field — a subject
  15. content — happy
  16. perch — the fish
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. firm — a company
  23. field — for sport
  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