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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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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. prune — to trim
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. face — to confront
  7. scale — in music
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. branch — a division
  12. bass — the fish
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — low music
  15. fine — all right
  16. face — to point toward
  17. chair — a leader
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. scale — size or range
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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