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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bound — tied together
  4. suit — to fit
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. branch — a division
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. suit — in cards
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bound — certain
  14. capital — money
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bound — obliged
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. capital — a city
  19. wind — moving air
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pound — a weight
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pound — to hit hard

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