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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: scale · mug · pitch · ground · branch · chip · straw · key

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. scale — in music
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mug — a face
  5. pitch — completely
  6. ground — the earth
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. key — in music
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. ground — a position
  13. mug — to rob
  14. scale — size or range
  15. branch — a division
  16. chip — for betting
  17. key — for a lock
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. key — the most important part
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ground — crushed

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