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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: temple · branch · game · bank · content · field · chair · bound

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. branch — a division
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. game — a match
  6. bound — obliged
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. field — a subject
  10. content — happy
  11. field — farmland
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bank — for money
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bound — tied together
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bank — for money
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. game — wild animals
  22. content — the amount
  23. field — for sport
  24. bound — certain

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