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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 · game · cap · pop · lean · fine · bowl · branch

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pop — music
  5. fine — all right
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fine — high quality
  8. branch — a division
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pop — soda
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. game — a match
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lean — thin
  18. bound — certain
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bound — obliged
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pop — to visit

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