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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: chip · branch · mate · foot · fine · bound · club · wind

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fine — all right
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bound — certain
  7. wind — moving air
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. club — for golf
  11. fine — high quality
  12. club — a group
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mate — a friend
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. chip — to eat
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. branch — a division
  24. bound — tied together

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