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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · perch · rule · prune · board · bound · charge · bank

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. rule — government
  2. bound — obliged
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bank — of a river
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bank — for money
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. board — to get on
  13. rule — a law
  14. perch — the fish
  15. prune — to trim
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bank — for money
  18. charge — in control
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bound — certain
  22. board — a committee
  23. prune — the fruit
  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