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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: club · branch · bound · deal · row · mouse · cabinet · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. club — a group
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. row — a line
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. row — to paddle
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bound — certain
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. deal — to handle
  21. club — for golf
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. branch — a division

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