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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bound — tied together
  3. ball — a dance
  4. land — ground
  5. ball — a great time
  6. land — a country
  7. bound — certain
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. land — to come down
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. rash — a series

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