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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wound — an injury
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. charge — a price
  11. current — happening now
  12. court — of law
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. current — of water
  17. wound — an injury
  18. current — electric
  19. bound — tied together
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. charge — in control
  23. rest — a break
  24. pound — to hit hard

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