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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: squash · mate · branch · bass · lean · perch · pound · firm

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. firm — steady
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pound — a weight
  11. firm — decided
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mate — to breed
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mate — a friend
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bass — low music
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. firm — a company
  21. branch — a division
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mate — a partner
  24. perch — for a bird

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