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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 116 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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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: pound · chip · perch · bark · scale · mouse · branch · cap

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bark — to shout
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. branch — a division
  10. cap — a lid
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cap — a hat
  18. perch — the fish
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pound — a weight
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mouse — the animal

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