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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: pound · branch · object · band · mouse · perch · fan · spring

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. band — a ring
  11. spring — the season
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. spring — a coil
  15. band — a music group
  16. branch — a division
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pound — a weight
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. spring — of water
  24. object — an aim

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