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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 120 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: board · band · lie · key · scale · pitcher · bark · branch

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bark — to shout
  4. scale — in music
  5. board — a committee
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. board — to get on
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. scale — size or range
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. band — a ring
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. branch — a division
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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