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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stock — goods
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cell — a phone
  6. board — to get on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cell — in biology
  10. lean — to bend
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bound — tied together
  15. board — a committee
  16. bound — certain
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. key — in music
  21. stock — shares
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. branch — a division

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