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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. charge — in control
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. charge — a price
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. present — a gift
  13. last — final
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. charge — electricity
  16. last — finally
  17. march — music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. last — to go on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. march — the month
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. march — the month
  24. present — there

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