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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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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: spring · mouse · vault · bowl · branch · pound · perch · mine

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mine — for digging
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. spring — of water
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. branch — a division
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bowl — a football final

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