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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. charge — in control
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bound — tied together
  9. charge — electricity
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. field — a subject
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hand — in cards
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. hand — help

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