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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.

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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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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: pound · perch · court · wave · band · bound · stand · branch

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. branch — a division
  5. court — of law
  6. perch — the fish
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. court — for sport
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pound — a weight
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bound — obliged
  15. band — a ring
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stand — to bear
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. band — a music group
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bound — certain
  24. stand — on your feet

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