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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. bound — certain
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. charge — in control
  8. bank — for money
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stock — goods
  17. charge — a price
  18. stock — shares
  19. bank — of a river
  20. perch — the fish
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bound — tied together

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