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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: hide · scale · bank · perch · sharp · pop · branch · stand

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pop — music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bank — for money
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bank — for money
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. scale — in music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pop — soda
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. branch — a division
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bank — of a river
  24. sharp — exactly

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