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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: branch · field · drill · scale · court · wake · rash · object

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. drill — a practice
  6. court — of a king
  7. drill — army training
  8. field — farmland
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. court — of law
  11. rash — a series
  12. branch — a division
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. field — a subject
  17. rash — hasty
  18. field — for sport
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. court — for sport
  22. scale — size or range
  23. object — to protest
  24. rash — on the skin

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