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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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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: cap · staff · perch · present · branch · bank · land · pop

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — the time now
  3. pop — to visit
  4. land — ground
  5. bank — for money
  6. pop — soda
  7. bank — of a river
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cap — a hat
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. land — to come down
  16. present — there
  17. branch — a division
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pop — music
  20. perch — the fish
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. staff — employees
  23. land — a country
  24. present — a gift

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