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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: hand · march · bear · branch · ball · bore · fine · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. fine — all right
  3. bore — to drill
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bore — to tire
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. hand — in cards
  10. march — the month
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bear — the animal
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. hand — help
  17. branch — a division
  18. bear — the animal
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ball — a dance
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bore — gave birth
  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