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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: branch · foot · calf · bear · scale · date · capital · bass

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. scale — in music
  7. bass — low music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. capital — a city
  11. scale — size or range
  12. date — the fruit
  13. foot — a measure
  14. branch — a division
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bear — the animal

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