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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: wound · toast · racket · cue · scale · branch · rush · squash

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — bread
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cue — for pool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. squash — to crush
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cue — a signal
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. scale — in music

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