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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: drill · stand · wake · scale · branch · craft · present · chest

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. scale — in music
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. present — a gift
  7. scale — size or range
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. present — the time now
  11. drill — the tool
  12. chest — of your body
  13. present — there
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. drill — a practice
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. chest — a box
  18. wake — a trail
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. chest — of your body
  22. drill — army training
  23. stand — to bear
  24. branch — a division

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