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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · row · branch · perch · bank · game · hide · racket

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bank — of a river
  4. row — a line
  5. bank — for money
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. game — a match
  10. perch — the fish
  11. branch — a division
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. row — to paddle
  15. game — wild animals
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bank — for money
  18. bass — low music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bass — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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