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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. board — a committee
  7. key — in music
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. race — the arms race
  13. suit — clothes
  14. key — the most important part
  15. net — in sport
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. net — after costs
  18. key — for a lock
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. bound — certain
  22. branch — a division
  23. suit — in cards
  24. net — for catching

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