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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. present — there
  3. mark — a trace
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. firm — decided
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. club — a group
  11. branch — a division
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. kid — to tease
  14. club — for golf
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bound — tied together
  17. present — the time now
  18. firm — steady
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bound — certain
  21. present — a gift
  22. mark — a grade
  23. club — for dancing
  24. firm — a company

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