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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: bulb · branch · saw · deal · perch · racket · capital · object

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. saw — the tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. deal — to handle
  8. object — an aim
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. capital — a city
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bulb — for light
  17. object — to protest
  18. branch — a division
  19. object — a thing
  20. capital — money
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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