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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: land · board · bound · branch · track · bank · present · trunk

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bank — for money
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. present — a gift
  7. track — a path
  8. land — ground
  9. track — a song
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. land — a country
  12. present — the time now
  13. board — to get on
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bank — for money
  17. present — there
  18. land — to come down
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bound — obliged
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. branch — of a tree
  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