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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.

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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ground — a position
  3. scale — in music
  4. pound — a weight
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. tube — the underground
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bass — the fish
  10. club — a group
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bass — low music
  15. track — to keep track
  16. ground — crushed
  17. club — for golf
  18. track — a song
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. tube — a container
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. ground — the earth
  24. track — a path

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