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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: spring · bound · board · rash · bark · branch · bowl · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bound — certain
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. board — to get on
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. rash — hasty
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rash — a series
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fine — all right
  16. branch — a division
  17. spring — a coil
  18. board — a committee
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bound — obliged

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