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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: mark · deal · scale · spring · branch · pass · bound · saw

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mark — a grade
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. scale — in music
  9. bound — certain
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spring — of water
  16. branch — a division
  17. saw — the tool
  18. scale — size or range
  19. spring — the season
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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