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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bank — for money
  3. rock — music
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. charge — electricity
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. charge — a price
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bank — of a river
  10. drill — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bound — certain
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bound — tied together
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. saw — the tool
  19. charge — in control
  20. rock — a stone
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bank — for money

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