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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: net · branch · cue · fan · bat · saw · scale · face

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. saw — the tool
  7. face — to confront
  8. cue — a signal
  9. net — for catching
  10. face — part of the head
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. net — after costs
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bat — the animal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. net — in sport
  21. branch — a division
  22. saw — the tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cue — for pool

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