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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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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: club · stock · leaves · lie · deal · perch · bound · branch

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bound — tied together
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. club — a group
  8. deal — to handle
  9. club — for golf
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stock — goods
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. branch — a division
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lie — to recline
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. perch — the fish

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