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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.

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: branch · squash · chair · bound · content · scale · racket · pitch

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. chair — a leader
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bound — tied together
  8. scale — size or range
  9. content — happy
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bound — certain
  15. content — the amount
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. branch — a division
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitch — completely
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. squash — to crush

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