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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · pound · march · bass · branch · snap · bound · stand

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stand — to bear
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. march — the month
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bass — the fish
  16. march — the month
  17. pound — a weight
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. snap — to click
  20. bass — low music
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. branch — a division
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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