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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · saw · can · band · scale · date · fine · branch

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fine — high quality
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. can — a tin
  6. fine — all right
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. band — a ring
  10. branch — a division
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. spell — letters
  13. scale — size or range
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. band — a music group
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. date — the fruit
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. saw — the tool

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