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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · branch · fan · rest · bowl · root

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rest — a break
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. branch — a division
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. root — of a word
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. scale — in music

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