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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: branch · mouse · hand · ground · safe · track · scale · bound

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ground — crushed
  3. track — a path
  4. scale — size or range
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bound — obliged
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. track — a song
  9. bound — tied together
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. branch — a division
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hand — help
  15. track — to keep track
  16. scale — in music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bound — certain

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