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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: bat · stick · branch · bay · date · perch · land · net

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. net — for catching
  3. land — ground
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. branch — a division
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. date — the fruit
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bat — the animal
  15. land — a country
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. land — to come down
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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