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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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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: board · branch · foot · tear · swing · race · perch · bore

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. swing — to play on
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bore — to drill
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. tear — from crying
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. swing — in golf
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. board — a committee
  13. foot — a measure
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. perch — the fish
  17. board — to get on
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. tear — from crying
  21. branch — a division
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bore — to tire
  24. tear — to rip

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