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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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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: land · craft · board · bound · pit · branch · saw · perch

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. land — a country
  3. branch — a division
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. craft — boats
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bound — obliged
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bound — tied together
  18. perch — the fish
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pit — in a race
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bound — certain
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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