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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
468
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: toast · cabinet · chest · roll · scale · cue · bowl · branch

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chest — of your body
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. roll — a list
  17. branch — a division
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. toast — bread
  20. scale — size or range
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cue — a hint
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. cue — for pool

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