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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. board — to get on
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. net — after costs
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bound — certain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bound — obliged
  11. drill — a practice
  12. net — for catching
  13. drill — army training
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. bear — the animal
  17. key — the most important part
  18. shower — rain
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. board — a committee
  21. shower — to wash
  22. net — in sport
  23. key — in music
  24. bear — to put up with

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