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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 116 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: scale · cabinet · pop · mine · can · mark · branch · land

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. can — to be able to
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. land — a country
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. can — a tin
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mark — a grade
  9. can — a tin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pop — to visit
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pop — music
  14. land — to come down
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pop — soda
  18. mark — a trace
  19. scale — in music
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. land — ground
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. branch — a division

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