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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.

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: march · branch · racket · wave · nail · perch · hand · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. branch — a division
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. march — the month

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