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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. branch — a division
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pop — soda
  7. hand — help
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pop — music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rest — what's left
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. rest — a break

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