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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. scale — in music
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cap — of ice
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. branch — a division
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. scale — size or range
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. squash — to crush
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cap — a hat
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. squash — the sport
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. jam — in traffic

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