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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · sharp · cabinet · can · branch · perch · mine · mate

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mate — a friend
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. can — to be able to
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mine — for digging
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — a tin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mate — a partner
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. can — a tin
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mate — to breed

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