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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: trunk · bound · chip · bowl · key · wound · branch · degree

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. key — in music
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. degree — from a university
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wound — an injury
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. degree — temperature
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. key — the most important part
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wound — an injury
  23. branch — a division
  24. chip — to eat

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