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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: ground · perch · present · squash · jam · branch · coach · track

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. ground — crushed
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. branch — a division
  6. track — a song
  7. squash — to crush
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. track — to keep track
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. track — a path
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. present — the time now
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. squash — the sport
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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