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

Word bank: race · bowl · deal · stand · scale · branch

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stand — to bear
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. branch — a division
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stand — on your feet

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