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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: swing · track · scale · cap · vault · can · cell · branch

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. swing — to play on
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. track — a song
  9. swing — music
  10. can — a tin
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. scale — size or range
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cap — of ice
  16. scale — in music
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cell — a phone
  19. can — to be able to
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cell — in biology
  22. swing — in golf
  23. track — a path
  24. scale — for weighing

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