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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: scale · bass · object · mine · stick · pit · bound · branch

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bound — obliged
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mine — for digging
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. branch — a division
  14. object — an aim
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bound — certain
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. object — a thing
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bass — low music

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