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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 120 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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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: net · branch · perch · pound · vault · race · wake · march

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. race — humankind
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. march — the month
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. branch — a division
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wake — a trail
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. net — after costs
  17. march — music
  18. race — a contest
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. march — the month
  24. perch — the fish

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