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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: branch · staff · pop · cabinet · perch · season · scale · roll

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. branch — a division
  8. roll — a list
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pop — soda
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. scale — in music
  18. season — in sport
  19. pop — music
  20. season — of the year
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. perch — the fish

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