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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bank — of a river
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. board — to get on
  9. stock — goods
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bank — for money
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bound — certain
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bank — for money
  21. press — to push
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stock — shares
  24. spell — a short time

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