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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mate — to breed
  5. scale — in music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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