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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: scale · mate · branch · object · hand · ground · pound · fan

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ground — a position
  6. object — a thing
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pound — a weight
  11. ground — the earth
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mate — a partner
  17. hand — help
  18. object — to protest
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. object — an aim
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. scale — size or range
  23. branch — a division
  24. mate — a friend

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