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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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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: bound · board · fork · pop · suit · bat · branch · cap

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bat — the animal
  8. board — to get on
  9. cap — a hat
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pop — soda
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pop — music
  17. board — a committee
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bound — obliged
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bound — tied together

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