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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. net — for catching
  5. present — a gift
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cue — a hint
  14. net — in sport
  15. bound — obliged
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cue — for pool
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bank — for money
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cue — a signal
  24. net — after costs

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