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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. object — to protest
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bound — tied together
  5. scale — in music
  6. object — a thing
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rock — music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. object — an aim
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rock — a stone
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bass — low music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bound — certain
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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