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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: branch · file · perch · bark · game · press · bat · staff

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. press — newspapers
  5. perch — the fish
  6. staff — a stick
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. game — a match
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. file — a tool
  12. bat — the animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. file — a document
  15. staff — employees
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. game — wild animals
  20. staff — employees
  21. bark — to shout
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. file — a line of people
  24. press — to push

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