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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: mate · season · branch · ground · perch · bear · arm · mark

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ground — crushed
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ground — a position
  8. mate — to breed
  9. season — of the year
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. season — in sport
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bear — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bear — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. branch — a division
  23. mate — a friend
  24. ground — the earth

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