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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. row — a quarrel
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. row — a line
  5. can — to be able to
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mate — a partner
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. mate — a friend
  14. branch — a division
  15. mate — to breed
  16. can — a tin
  17. charge — electricity
  18. row — to paddle
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. stem — to come from
  22. can — a tin
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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