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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fork — in a road
  8. press — newspapers
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. press — to push
  11. craft — boats
  12. key — in music
  13. court — of a king
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. court — for sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bound — certain
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. court — of law
  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