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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 116 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. march — music
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. net — for catching
  5. object — an aim
  6. land — to come down
  7. pop — music
  8. bank — for money
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bank — of a river
  11. net — in sport
  12. object — a thing
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bank — for money
  15. object — to protest
  16. land — a country
  17. net — after costs
  18. land — ground
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. march — the month
  23. bulb — for light
  24. march — the month

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