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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: branch · date · stick · band · perch · nail · scale · rash

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. scale — size or range
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. scale — in music
  6. band — a ring
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rash — hasty
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. branch — a division
  16. band — a music group
  17. perch — the fish
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rash — a series
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rash — on the skin

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