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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: bay · chip · branch · can · spring · scale · race · perch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. race — the arms race
  4. perch — the fish
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. race — humankind
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. race — a contest
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. branch — a division
  15. scale — in music
  16. spring — the season
  17. scale — size or range
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. spring — of water
  20. chip — for betting
  21. can — a tin
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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