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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · swing · content · branch · cap · hide · perch · fan

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. swing — in golf
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — a division
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. content — the amount
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. content — happy
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. branch — of a bank

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