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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. firm — decided
  3. bank — of a river
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bank — for money
  6. wake — a trail
  7. field — a subject
  8. bound — obliged
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. capital — money
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. firm — steady
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. branch — a division
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. capital — a city
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. field — for sport
  21. firm — a company
  22. bound — tied together
  23. field — farmland
  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