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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: net · branch · bay · spring · perch · rush · field · land

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. net — for catching
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. net — in sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. land — to come down
  8. perch — the fish
  9. net — after costs
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. spring — a coil
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. field — farmland
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spring — of water
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. field — a subject
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. field — for sport
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. spring — the season

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