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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 116 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: kid · branch · pound · mark · mate · club · calf · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. club — a group
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pound — a weight
  8. club — for golf
  9. branch — a division
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. kid — child
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mate — a friend
  24. kid — to tease

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