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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: field · chip · branch · trunk · bear · bound · suit · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. suit — to fit
  7. field — for sport
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. field — farmland
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bear — the animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mate — a friend
  20. chip — for betting
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mate — a partner
  23. field — a subject
  24. bear — the animal

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