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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: mark · stand · mine · game · wave · scale · track · branch

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. branch — a division
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. track — a song
  17. mark — a trace
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. game — a match
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mine — for digging
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mine — belonging to me

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