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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: tear · suit · court · racket · perch · bank · branch · scale

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tear — to rip
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. scale — size or range
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bank — of a river
  7. court — for sport
  8. branch — a division
  9. suit — in cards
  10. court — of a king
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. suit — clothes
  13. tear — from crying
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. perch — the fish
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bank — for money
  21. court — of law
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. racket — a loud noise

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