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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 120 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: pit · cue · branch · board · stand · snap · bound · scale

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cue — a hint
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. board — a committee
  8. pit — in a race
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bound — obliged
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. scale — in music
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bound — certain
  17. board — to get on
  18. branch — a division
  19. bound — tied together
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pit — a hole
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stand — to bear

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