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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. toast — bread
  3. scale — in music
  4. mark — a trace
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. present — there
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. branch — a division
  14. present — a gift
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. present — the time now
  24. drill — a practice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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