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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: rush · cell · mark · track · scale · squash · branch · kick

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. track — a path
  5. branch — a division
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. scale — in music
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cell — a phone
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rush — hurry
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. squash — the sport

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