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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 120 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: firm · present · land · snap · branch · squash · can · scale

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. scale — in music
  3. present — there
  4. can — to be able to
  5. present — the time now
  6. snap — to click
  7. can — a tin
  8. present — a gift
  9. squash — the sport
  10. firm — decided
  11. scale — size or range
  12. firm — a company
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. land — a country
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. land — to come down
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. firm — steady
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. land — ground
  22. squash — to crush
  23. can — a tin
  24. branch — of a tree

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