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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: branch · board · bat · leaves · craft · pound · ball · perch

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. ball — a dance
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. craft — a skill
  6. board — to get on
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. branch — a division
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. craft — boats
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. board — a committee
  24. pound — a weight

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