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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 116 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: firm · bark · chair · spring · wound · suit · bound · scale

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bound — certain
  3. bark — to shout
  4. scale — in music
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bound — tied together
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. scale — size or range
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. firm — decided
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. chair — a leader
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. suit — in cards
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — the season
  22. firm — a company
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wound — an injury

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