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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: cabinet · snap · scale · branch · last · pit · perch · roll

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. perch — the fish
  3. last — finally
  4. scale — in music
  5. last — to go on
  6. branch — a division
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. scale — size or range
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pit — in a race
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. last — final
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. snap — to click
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pit — a hole
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

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