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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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. wind — to turn a key
  4. stock — shares
  5. board — a committee
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wind — moving air
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pop — music
  13. bound — tied together
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. board — to get on
  16. wind — moving air
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bank — for money
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bound — certain
  21. stock — goods
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pop — soda

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