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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 120 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. board — to get on
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fine — all right
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bound — tied together
  10. branch — a division
  11. rash — a series
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bat — the animal
  15. scale — in music
  16. rash — hasty
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bound — obliged
  19. content — the amount
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fine — high quality
  22. content — happy
  23. board — a committee
  24. content — videos and posts

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