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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · scale · trunk · branch · roll · ball · game · bass

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bass — low music
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. scale — in music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bass — the fish
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. roll — a list
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. ball — a dance
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. branch — a division
  14. roll — a cake
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. game — a match
  17. scale — size or range
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mug — a cup
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mug — to rob
  24. scale — for weighing

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