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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 · branch · rule · saw · ball · bulb · firm · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bulb — for light
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bound — certain
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. saw — the tool
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. saw — the tool
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. firm — a company
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rule — government
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rule — a law

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