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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 · row · ruler · ground · trunk · branch · march · stand

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bound — certain
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ground — crushed
  15. row — to paddle
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. branch — a division
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. row — a line

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