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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: can · club · snap · date · roll · fork · branch · bound

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. can — a tin
  4. club — for golf
  5. bound — obliged
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. club — for dancing
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. club — a group
  12. roll — a list
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bound — tied together
  18. branch — a division
  19. roll — a cake
  20. snap — to click
  21. bound — certain
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. can — to be able to

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