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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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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: squash · track · snap · scale · bulb · sharp · chair · branch

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. scale — size or range
  3. squash — the sport
  4. sharp — clever
  5. squash — to crush
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bulb — for light
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. chair — a leader
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. track — a song
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. bulb — for light
  22. branch — a division
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. scale — in music

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