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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: sharp · bark · racket · perch · cap · straw · roll · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. roll — a list
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cap — of ice
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bark — to shout
  20. perch — the fish
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. roll — a cake
  24. racket — a loud noise

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