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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: scale · arm · face · branch · bound · mouse · net · fork

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. net — for catching
  8. bound — certain
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. net — after costs
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bound — tied together
  22. branch — a division
  23. net — in sport
  24. arm — a part of something

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