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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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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 · branch · chip · safe · pop · rest · mouse · court

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pop — music
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. court — of law
  12. bound — certain
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pop — to visit
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pop — soda
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rest — a break
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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