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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: scale · wake · can · bowl · band · pit · bore · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. scale — in music
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. can — a tin
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bore — to tire
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pit — in a race
  18. band — a ring
  19. can — a tin
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. band — a music group
  24. bore — to drill

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