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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: wound · perch · bank · chair · branch · root · game · staff

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wound — an injury
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bank — for money
  7. root — the cause
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. game — a match
  10. root — of a plant
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. staff — employees
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bank — for money
  18. branch — a division
  19. staff — a stick
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. root — of a word
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. staff — employees
  24. chair — to sit on

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