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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. march — the month
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stock — goods
  7. rash — hasty
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bank — for money
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. march — music
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stock — shares
  23. rash — a series
  24. march — the month

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