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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: chair · file · pitcher · bound · ground · scale · rest · bank

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. bound — tied together
  2. file — a document
  3. chair — a leader
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. scale — size or range
  6. ground — a position
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rest — a break
  10. file — a tool
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bank — for money
  13. scale — in music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bound — certain
  18. bank — for money
  19. rest — what's left
  20. file — a line of people
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ground — crushed
  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