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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 116 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: staff · board · branch · snap · march · mark · bound · racket

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bound — tied together
  3. board — a committee
  4. bound — certain
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. march — the month
  8. staff — employees
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bound — obliged
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. march — the month
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. snap — to click
  18. board — to get on
  19. march — music
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. staff — employees
  22. branch — a division
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. staff — a stick

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