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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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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: object · cue · content · bound · stick · jam · branch · ruler

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. bound — tied together
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cue — a signal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. content — happy
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bound — obliged
  12. object — an aim
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bound — certain
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cue — a hint
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. content — the amount
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. branch — a division

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