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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 120 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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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. branch — a division
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. kid — to tease
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. scale — in music
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. scale — size or range
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. can — a tin
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. kid — child
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. ball — a great time

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