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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: perch · content · board · clip · staff · racket · branch · wake

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. clip — to cut
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. staff — employees
  5. board — to get on
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. staff — a stick
  15. content — happy
  16. board — a committee
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wake — a trail
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. branch — a division
  23. perch — the fish
  24. staff — employees

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