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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: branch · ground · pass · row · ruler · hand · mark · perch

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. branch — a division
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ground — a position
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. row — a line
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hand — help
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — a grade
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pass — to spend time

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