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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bark — to shout
  3. branch — a division
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. scale — size or range
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wax — to grow
  12. content — the amount
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. content — happy
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. ruler — a monarch

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