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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pound — a weight
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. branch — a division
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wake — a trail
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. spell — magic
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. spell — letters
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. perch — the fish
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. face — part of the head
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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