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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: racket · branch · bound · bear · cell · mouse · pitch · pop

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pop — music
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. pitch — completely
  8. branch — a division
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pop — to visit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. branch — of a bank

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