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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: swing · foot · mouse · pitcher · fan · perch · branch · bear

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. swing — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. swing — in golf

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