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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: bass · mouse · branch · stem · pitch · scale · net · saw

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. net — in sport
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stem — to come from
  6. scale — in music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pitch — completely
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. net — for catching
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. branch — a division
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bass — low music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. net — after costs
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. saw — the tool

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