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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: ball · track · kid · branch · bear · net · scale · craft

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. net — for catching
  3. track — to keep track
  4. kid — child
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. net — after costs
  7. bear — the animal
  8. track — a song
  9. bear — the animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. ball — a great time
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. scale — size or range
  19. craft — boats
  20. track — a path
  21. branch — a division
  22. ball — a dance
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. craft — a skill

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