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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.

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: bowl · bear · bay · mug · branch · capital · scale · straw

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mug — a cup
  4. scale — size or range
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. branch — a division
  7. mug — a face
  8. capital — money
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bear — the animal
  11. capital — a city
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. scale — in music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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