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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: hand · object · pop · net · perch · bound · bowl · branch

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. net — for catching
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. object — to protest
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. object — a thing
  12. pop — to visit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pop — soda
  16. bound — certain
  17. object — an aim
  18. hand — in cards
  19. net — after costs
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. net — in sport
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. hand — help

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