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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: bank · branch · date · perch · calf · chair · fork · bound

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bound — certain
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chair — a leader
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bank — of a river
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bank — for money
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bank — for money
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bound — tied together

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