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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. swing — to play on
  3. net — in sport
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. net — for catching
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bound — certain
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. net — after costs
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. bear — the animal
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bank — of a river
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. charge — in control
  21. swing — music
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. sharp — exactly

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