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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: shower · firm · racket · bound · coach · branch · wind · march

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wind — moving air
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. firm — steady
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. march — music
  10. branch — a division
  11. bound — tied together
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wind — moving air
  14. shower — to wash
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. firm — decided
  17. shower — rain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. march — the month
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. firm — a company
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. coach — a trainer

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