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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. content — happy
  3. branch — a division
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. swing — to play on
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bound — tied together
  9. content — the amount
  10. swing — music
  11. firm — decided
  12. bound — certain
  13. race — a contest
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. firm — a company
  17. race — humankind
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. swing — in golf
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pound — a weight
  23. firm — steady
  24. bound — obliged

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