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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: pitcher · branch · scale · bound · perch · toast · lie · bulb

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. scale — in music
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. toast — bread
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — to recline
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. perch — the fish
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. perch — for a bird

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