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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. key — for a lock
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. present — a gift
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chip — for betting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. present — the time now
  9. branch — a division
  10. plane — a tool
  11. key — in music
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chip — to eat
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. key — the most important part
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. present — there
  21. field — a subject
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bound — tied together
  24. chip — in a computer

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