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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: branch · bark · coach · pitcher · bank · track · mouse · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. track — a song
  9. bank — for money
  10. track — a path
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. branch — a division
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. coach — a trainer

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