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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: bound · scale · squash · pound · current · wax · bass · branch

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. scale — in music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. branch — a division
  6. wax — to grow
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. current — electric
  13. bound — tied together
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. current — happening now
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. current — of water
  20. bound — certain
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. branch — of a bank

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