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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. land — ground
  5. kid — child
  6. band — a ring
  7. firm — steady
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. firm — a company
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. firm — decided
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bank — for money
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bank — of a river
  18. charge — electricity
  19. land — a country
  20. kid — to tease
  21. land — to come down
  22. bound — certain
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bank — for money

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