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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: mouse · cap · bass · key · trunk · scale · fan · branch

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. branch — a division
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bass — low music
  16. key — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. cap — a hat
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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