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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.

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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: scale · capital · perch · bulb · face · branch · board · deal

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. face — to point toward
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. deal — to handle
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. scale — in music
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. face — part of the head
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. capital — a city
  18. perch — the fish
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. face — to confront
  24. capital — money

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