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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: rash · scale · track · file · branch · band · bore · shower

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. scale — in music
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. track — to keep track
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. file — a line of people
  9. band — a ring
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rash — hasty
  13. track — a path
  14. branch — a division
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. file — a tool
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rash — a series
  20. bore — to drill
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. track — a song
  24. band — a music group

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