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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · perch · rush · branch · staff · firm · court · toast

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. court — for sport
  4. firm — decided
  5. staff — a stick
  6. toast — bread
  7. kick — in football
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. court — of a king
  10. perch — the fish
  11. firm — steady
  12. rush — hurry
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. branch — a division
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. firm — a company
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. court — of law

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