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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · saw · scale · bark · band · object · wound · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. saw — the tool
  3. band — a ring
  4. wound — an injury
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. object — to protest
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. content — happy
  13. object — a thing
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. saw — the tool
  18. band — a music group
  19. object — an aim
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. scale — in music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. content — the amount
  24. band — a rubber band

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