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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: march · bowl · bound · branch · pitch · court · arm · capital

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bound — tied together
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. capital — money
  7. pitch — completely
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. court — of a king
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. capital — a city
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bound — certain
  18. court — of law
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. court — for sport
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bound — obliged
  23. march — music
  24. arm — part of the body

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