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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 116 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 · land · racket · bear · mine · vault · perch · rule

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. branch — a division
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mine — for digging
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. land — a country
  14. rule — government
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — ground
  17. vault — a safe
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. land — to come down
  20. perch — the fish
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rule — a law
  24. branch — of a bank

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