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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
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: jam · capital · hide · bowl · march · fork · branch · scale

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. march — the month
  9. capital — a city
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. scale — in music
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. march — music
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. capital — money
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. branch — a division
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. scale — size or range

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