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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bound — tied together
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bank — for money
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bound — obliged
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. court — of a king
  15. branch — a division
  16. season — of the year
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bank — for money
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. court — of law
  23. bank — of a river
  24. court — for sport

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