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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 120 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 · pitcher · scale · bay · chest · foot · lean · game

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. scale — in music
  3. chest — a box
  4. bound — obliged
  5. game — a match
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. scale — size or range
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. lean — thin
  17. bound — certain
  18. lean — to bend
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. game — wild animals
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bound — tied together
  24. chest — of your body

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