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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. charge — a price
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. charge — electricity
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. march — the month
  13. bound — obliged
  14. march — music
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. branch — a division
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. charge — in control
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. march — the month
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pound — a weight

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