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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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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. charge — in control
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bound — tied together
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. branch — a division
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. charge — a price
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bound — obliged
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bass — low music
  21. bound — certain
  22. charge — electricity
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. trunk — of a tree

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