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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: stand · straw · field · present · branch · perch · mouse · bulb

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. perch — the fish
  4. field — for sport
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. present — a gift
  12. field — farmland
  13. present — the time now
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. present — there
  17. field — a subject
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bulb — for light
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. branch — a division
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stand — on your feet

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