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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: bear · nail · branch · pitcher · chip · band · board · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. band — a ring
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. board — to get on
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. band — a music group
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bear — the animal
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. board — a committee
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bear — to put up with

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