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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: branch · spell · stand · firm · hand · field · fan · scale

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. spell — letters
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. scale — in music
  9. hand — in cards
  10. scale — size or range
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stand — to bear
  15. firm — steady
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spell — magic
  19. field — for sport
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. spell — a short time
  22. firm — a company
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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