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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: bowl · patient · cabinet · snap · game · perch · branch · track

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. track — to keep track
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. game — a match
  18. track — a song
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. snap — to click
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. track — a path

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