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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 120 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 · arm · perch · season · capital · board · fall · bay

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. branch — a division
  4. season — of the year
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. board — to get on
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a city
  11. board — a committee
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fall — to drop
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fall — to drop
  21. season — in sport
  22. fall — the season
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bay — a horse colour

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