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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: march · kid · pit · object · branch · pop · perch · bear

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. march — the month
  4. bear — the animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pit — a hole
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. branch — a division
  12. pop — to visit
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pop — music
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pop — soda
  17. object — to protest
  18. pit — in a race
  19. march — the month
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. kid — child
  24. march — music

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