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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 120 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bound — obliged
  8. charge — in control
  9. degree — temperature
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bank — for money
  13. spell — magic
  14. fork — in a road
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. degree — from a university
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rest — a break
  21. spell — letters
  22. charge — a price
  23. bank — for money
  24. scale — in music

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