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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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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: degree · vault · perch · fall · ruler · fork · bark · branch

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fall — to drop
  6. branch — a division
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fork — in a road
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fall — the season
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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