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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. key — in music
  4. bound — tied together
  5. present — a gift
  6. branch — a division
  7. tube — a container
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stock — shares
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stock — goods
  16. key — the most important part
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. board — a committee
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. plane — a tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. board — to get on

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