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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: bear · branch · ground · jam · season · board · spring · bound

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ground — the earth
  3. season — in sport
  4. spring — the season
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spring — of water
  8. bound — tied together
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bear — the animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. ground — a position
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bear — the animal
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bound — certain
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bound — obliged
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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