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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: bass · coach · branch · straw · bound · jam · pound · mug

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bass — low music
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mug — a face
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. branch — a division
  13. pound — a weight
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bound — certain
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. jam — a tight spot

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