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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: can · court · track · scale · ground · shower · stand · branch

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. branch — a division
  3. stand — to bear
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. track — a song
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. track — a path
  12. court — of law
  13. scale — size or range
  14. track — to keep track
  15. can — a tin
  16. shower — rain
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. court — of a king
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. court — for 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