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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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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. net — after costs
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bound — certain
  9. mate — a partner
  10. track — a song
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. track — a path
  14. bound — tied together
  15. row — to paddle
  16. charge — a price
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. row — a line
  20. charge — in control
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. mate — to breed
  24. track — to keep track

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