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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: hide · branch · club · bank · cue · scale · rock · bear

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. scale — in music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — a division
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. club — for golf
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bank — for money
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. club — a group
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rock — a stone

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