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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: mark · suit · bound · date · fan · perch · branch · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mark — a trace
  9. branch — a division
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bound — certain
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mark — a grade
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. spring — the season
  20. bound — obliged
  21. spring — of water
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fan — to cool the air

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