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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rash — hasty
  3. scale — in music
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rash — a series
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. land — to come down
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. staff — employees
  15. land — ground
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pound — a weight
  19. staff — employees
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. staff — a stick
  22. perch — the fish
  23. land — a country
  24. pound — to hit hard

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