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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · fork · perch · march · spring · deal · fine · branch

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. spring — of water
  3. perch — the fish
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. march — the month
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. march — the month
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. spring — a coil
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. row — a line
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. spring — the season
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. march — music
  21. branch — a division
  22. deal — to handle
  23. row — to paddle
  24. fine — a penalty

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