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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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. current — happening now
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bound — tied together
  6. drill — a practice
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitch — completely
  11. drill — army training
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. clip — a video
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bank — of a river
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. current — electric
  22. bound — obliged
  23. current — of water
  24. clip — for paper

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