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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: can · rest · game · branch · hand · swing · bowl · perch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rest — what's left
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rest — what's left
  5. branch — a division
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. hand — in cards
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hand — help
  13. rest — a break
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. can — a tin
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. can — to be able to
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. can — a tin

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