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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 · deal · bound · stick · chest · scale · fork · rock

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rock — music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. chest — a box
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rock — a stone
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bound — obliged
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bound — certain
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. scale — in music

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