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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: perch · cabinet · land · arm · pop · vault · branch · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. branch — a division
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pop — music
  11. land — ground
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pop — to visit
  14. land — to come down
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pop — soda
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. land — a country

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