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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: bulb · bank · staff · wound · branch · pitcher · mate · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mate — a friend
  6. scale — in music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bulb — for light
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wound — an injury
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. branch — a division
  15. bank — of a river
  16. staff — employees
  17. mate — to breed
  18. staff — employees
  19. bank — for money
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bank — for money
  24. wound — an injury

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