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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cue — for pool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cue — a signal
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cue — a hint
  19. scale — size or range
  20. perch — the fish
  21. scale — in music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — a division
  24. wax — to grow

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