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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 · bark · bank · perch · ground · present · branch · board

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. branch — a division
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bark — to shout
  5. board — a committee
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. ground — a position
  10. present — a gift
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bound — obliged
  15. present — there
  16. bank — for money
  17. board — to get on
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bank — for money
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bank — of a river
  23. present — the time now
  24. ground — crushed

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