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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
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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: roll · ball · content · branch · fan · fine · clip · perch

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. roll — a cake
  6. perch — the fish
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. clip — a video
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. clip — to cut
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. roll — a list
  17. fine — all right
  18. branch — a division
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fine — high quality

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