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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 124 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bound — obliged
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bound — tied together
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. clip — to cut
  8. rush — hurry
  9. toast — bread
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bound — certain
  12. clip — a video
  13. charge — in control
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. charge — a price

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