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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: mate · bound · band · pop · branch · present · squash · jam

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. present — the time now
  3. pop — music
  4. present — a gift
  5. bound — certain
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pop — soda
  8. band — a ring
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mate — a friend
  16. branch — a division
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. present — there
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mate — to breed
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bound — obliged
  24. band — a music group

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