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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: mate · bound · mouse · row · key · march · branch · coach

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. march — the month
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. march — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. key — for a lock
  13. branch — a division
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mate — to breed
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. mate — a friend
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. key — in music

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