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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rash — a series
  3. date — the fruit
  4. key — the most important part
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bound — certain
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stand — to bear
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. chest — a box
  18. key — in music
  19. rash — hasty
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bound — tied together

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