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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. bank — for money
  3. bound — obliged
  4. capital — money
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. current — happening now
  10. pass — a permit
  11. press — newspapers
  12. march — music
  13. bank — for money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bound — tied together
  17. press — to push
  18. march — the month
  19. press — a publisher
  20. current — electric
  21. capital — a city
  22. current — of water
  23. cell — in biology
  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