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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: court · perch · toast · bay · bank · stem · hand · branch

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. court — of a king
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. perch — the fish
  7. branch — a division
  8. stem — to come from
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. hand — help
  12. bank — for money
  13. court — of law
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. toast — bread
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hand — in cards
  23. court — for sport
  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