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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bank — for money
  3. firm — a company
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. court — of a king
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bank — for money
  10. court — of law
  11. firm — decided
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. court — for sport
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. clip — to cut
  16. firm — steady
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. roll — a list
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. bank — of a river
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bound — certain
  24. wave — of the sea

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