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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 · bank · pound · arm · branch · foot · land · march

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. land — a country
  3. march — music
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. march — the month
  7. bound — certain
  8. bank — for money
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bank — of a river
  12. march — the month
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pound — a weight
  15. land — to come down
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. branch — a division
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bank — for money
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bound — tied together
  24. land — ground

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