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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chest · bass · fork · branch · toast · scale · coach · pitcher

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. branch — a division
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. chest — of your body
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. scale — size or range
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bass — low music
  19. scale — in music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. toast — bread
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chest — a box
  24. bass — 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