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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: ball · bound · bowl · saw · arm · bore · branch · pitcher

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bore — to drill
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bound — tied together
  6. branch — a division
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bound — certain
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pitcher — a jug

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