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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: bound · pound · bank · net · pitch · branch · bowl · rush

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. net — for catching
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. net — after costs
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. branch — a division
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. net — in sport

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