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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: hide · scale · branch · court · suit · ball · perch · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. perch — the fish
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. scale — size or range
  7. game — a match
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. suit — in cards
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. scale — in music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. branch — a division
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ball — a great time
  23. court — for sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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