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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: pop · pound · shower · bound · branch · charge · object · kick

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bound — tied together
  3. object — a thing
  4. charge — a price
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. shower — rain
  7. branch — a division
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pop — music
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. object — to protest
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bound — obliged
  14. charge — in control
  15. pop — to visit
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pound — a weight
  19. object — an aim
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bound — certain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. charge — electricity
  24. kick — in football

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