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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. net — in sport
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bound — obliged
  8. net — for catching
  9. bound — certain
  10. craft — boats
  11. board — a committee
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bound — tied together
  17. press — newspapers
  18. net — after costs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. bank — for money
  23. board — to get on
  24. bank — for money

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