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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 120 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: bulb · lie · object · chair · cap · scale · branch · bound

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chair — a leader
  10. scale — size or range
  11. lie — to recline
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. cap — a hat
  14. object — a thing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. branch — a division
  17. object — an aim
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. object — to protest
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. scale — for weighing

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