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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: coach · club · branch · bowl · court · charge · perch · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. charge — electricity
  5. club — for dancing
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. bark — to shout
  13. charge — a price
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. court — of a king
  17. charge — in control
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. court — for sport
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. court — of law
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. perch — the fish

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