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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. charge — a price
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bound — certain
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stock — goods
  12. root — of a word
  13. board — to get on
  14. bound — obliged
  15. root — the cause
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. board — a committee
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. board — a flat piece

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