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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: scale · stand · rock · march · branch · row · dip · rash

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. scale — size or range
  3. march — music
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. march — the month
  8. scale — in music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. march — the month
  13. stand — to bear
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rash — a series
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rock — music
  20. rash — hasty
  21. row — a line
  22. branch — a division
  23. row — a quarrel
  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