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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: branch · roll · court · stick · pass · scale · date · kick

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. court — for sport
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. roll — a cake
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pass — a permit
  13. scale — in music
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. scale — size or range
  16. court — of a king
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. court — of law
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. branch — a division
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. kick — in football

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