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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. club — a group
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. clip — a video
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. roll — a list
  12. deal — to handle
  13. charge — a price
  14. bound — tied together
  15. club — for golf
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. clip — for paper
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. roll — a cake
  22. clip — to cut
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. deal — an agreement

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