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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: cap · race · bass · present · mate · branch · scale · bulb

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bass — the fish
  4. present — there
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. race — a contest
  7. scale — in music
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. branch — a division
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cap — a hat
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. present — a gift
  16. bass — low music
  17. cap — a lid
  18. race — humankind
  19. scale — size or range
  20. present — the time now
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bass — the instrument

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