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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: saw · craft · perch · branch · pop · stock · rule · roll

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. roll — a cake
  5. craft — boats
  6. rule — a law
  7. perch — the fish
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pop — soda
  12. stock — goods
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. craft — a skill
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — music
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. roll — a list
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rule — government
  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