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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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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: swing · cabinet · scale · root · cell · branch · rock · chest

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. branch — a division
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cell — a phone
  14. root — the cause
  15. chest — a box
  16. swing — music
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. swing — in golf
  23. root — of a word
  24. branch — of a tree

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