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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: scale · bound · hand · file · jam · bowl

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. file — a tool
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. scale — in music
  7. file — a line of people
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bound — certain
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. hand — help
  17. file — a document
  18. bound — obliged

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