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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. charge — in control
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. stock — shares
  8. last — final
  9. stock — goods
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. key — in music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bear — the animal
  23. charge — a price
  24. key — the most important part

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