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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. charge — a price
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wound — an injury
  5. charge — in control
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pop — soda
  9. bound — obliged
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. clip — to cut
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pop — to visit
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. track — a song
  18. mark — a trace
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — a video
  22. track — a path
  23. bound — certain
  24. charge — electricity

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