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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 116 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: perch · wake · nail · coach · stick · branch · stock · scale

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. scale — in music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. perch — the fish
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stock — shares
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. scale — size or range
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stock — goods

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