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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: perch · bass · branch · calf · bound · key · ground · chair

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. ground — a position
  3. bass — low music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. key — in music
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bound — certain
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. chair — a leader
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bass — the fish

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