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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 120 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: nail · scale · branch · squash · present · vault · deal · current

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. present — there
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. scale — size or range
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. present — the time now
  10. current — happening now
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — of water
  13. present — a gift
  14. scale — in music
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. squash — to crush
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. current — electric
  23. deal — to handle
  24. branch — a division

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