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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. suit — to fit
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. toast — bread
  7. branch — a division
  8. pound — a weight
  9. land — to come down
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. suit — clothes
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. suit — in cards
  15. land — ground
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. land — a country
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in 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