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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: scale · arm · spring · charge · last · bound · pitcher · rock

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. scale — size or range
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. spring — of water
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. last — finally
  11. spring — the season
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. last — to go on
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. charge — a price
  18. scale — in music
  19. charge — in control
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. last — final
  24. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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