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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: cue · pop · squash · face · branch · scale · field · wake

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wake — a trail
  6. field — farmland
  7. pop — soda
  8. field — a subject
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. squash — to crush
  12. scale — in music
  13. field — for sport
  14. cue — for pool
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pop — to visit
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pop — music
  22. cue — a signal
  23. face — to confront
  24. squash — the sport

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