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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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Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bound — obliged
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bound — certain
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — not warm
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. board — a committee
  9. march — the month
  10. charge — a price
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. charge — in control
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bound — tied together
  19. board — to get on
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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