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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: dip · cue · field · branch · mate · perch · vault · wave

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. perch — the fish
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mate — to breed
  7. field — a subject
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mate — a partner
  15. vault — a safe
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. field — for sport
  20. cue — a hint
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. branch — a division
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wave — of the sea

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