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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: mouse · bulb · racket · roll · tube · perch · march · branch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. branch — a division
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. roll — a cake
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. roll — a list
  12. bulb — for light
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. march — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. march — the month
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. tube — a container
  21. march — the month
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  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