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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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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: racket · ball · branch · fall · present · leaves · perch · fork

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. branch — a division
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. present — there
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. present — the time now
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ball — a great time
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a dance
  21. present — a gift
  22. fall — to drop
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fork — in a road

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