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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: mug · squash · branch · pop · clip · can · stem · scale

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. can — a tin
  4. stem — to come from
  5. branch — a division
  6. mug — a cup
  7. can — a tin
  8. mug — to rob
  9. clip — to cut
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pop — soda
  12. clip — a video
  13. squash — to crush
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. clip — for paper
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mug — a face
  18. scale — in music
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. scale — size or range
  24. squash — the vegetable

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