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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. cell — a phone
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cell — in biology
  5. charge — in control
  6. bear — the animal
  7. court — of law
  8. charge — electricity
  9. march — the month
  10. bank — for money
  11. bound — certain
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. march — music
  16. charge — a price
  17. march — the month
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bear — to put up with
  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