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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: ruler · fine · spring · pass · club · branch · perch · mate

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mate — a partner
  3. spring — the season
  4. branch — a division
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pass — a permit
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fine — all right
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mate — a friend
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. club — for golf
  16. spring — a coil
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mate — to breed
  19. perch — the fish
  20. club — a group
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. spring — of water
  24. ruler — for measuring

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