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

Word bank: bank · scale · chair · cabinet · branch · date · saw · press

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. scale — in music
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. date — the fruit
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bank — for money
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bank — for money
  12. press — a publisher
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. press — to push
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. press — newspapers
  20. saw — the tool
  21. branch — a division
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cabinet — ministers

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