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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: bound · club · kick · branch · board · ball · net · lie

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. net — for catching
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ball — a dance
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. board — a committee
  8. kick — in football
  9. branch — a division
  10. net — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — certain
  13. board — to get on
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bound — obliged
  19. net — after costs
  20. bound — tied together
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lie — to recline
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. branch — of a bank

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