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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
468
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: ball · field · court · branch · bound · band · stick · kid

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bound — tied together
  4. kid — child
  5. field — a subject
  6. band — a ring
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. court — of a king
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. ball — a dance
  11. branch — a division
  12. ball — a great time
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. court — of law
  17. field — for sport
  18. bound — certain
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bound — obliged
  21. band — a music group
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. court — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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