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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · bound · rest · scale · dip · stick · present · bulb

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. present — the time now
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bound — certain
  5. present — there
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ground — crushed
  8. present — a gift
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bound — obliged
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. ground — a position
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rest — a break
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bound — tied together
  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