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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 120 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: firm · pop · mark · branch · mine · content · suit · bound

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. content — the amount
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pop — music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. branch — a division
  9. mark — a grade
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. suit — clothes
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. content — happy
  18. mine — for digging
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bound — certain
  21. suit — in cards
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. firm — decided
  24. pop — soda

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