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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: date · bear · track · last · file · branch · scale · stick

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. scale — in music
  4. last — to go on
  5. track — a path
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. file — a document
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. file — a line of people
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. file — a tool
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bear — the animal
  21. track — a song
  22. date — the fruit
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. scale — size or range

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