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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: mine · content · branch · scale · bowl · mouse · jam · bound

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. content — the amount
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bound — tied together
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bound — certain
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bound — obliged
  16. scale — in music
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. branch — a division
  24. mouse — the animal

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