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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. key — in music
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. net — for catching
  11. branch — a division
  12. degree — temperature
  13. kick — in football
  14. season — in sport
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. net — after costs
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. key — the most important part
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. net — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. key — for a lock
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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