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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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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: nail · pit · mine · board · deal · branch · perch · roll

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. board — to get on
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. branch — a division
  15. perch — the fish
  16. deal — to handle
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mine — for digging
  19. board — a committee
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mine — belonging to me

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