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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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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: bound · key · rash · cap · pitch · scale · date · branch

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bound — obliged
  3. scale — in music
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rash — a series
  8. scale — size or range
  9. key — the most important part
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cap — a hat
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. key — in music
  14. bound — certain
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. branch — a division
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cap — of ice
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rash — hasty

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