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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. ground — a position
  3. present — a gift
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. present — there
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bound — certain
  9. present — the time now
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stock — goods
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ground — the earth
  17. staff — employees
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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