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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: racket · bound · jam · branch · bear · fan · perch · squash

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. perch — the fish
  3. branch — a division
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bear — the animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bound — tied together
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bound — certain
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bound — obliged
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. jam — in traffic

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