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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bound — tied together
  3. season — of the year
  4. scale — in music
  5. face — to confront
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bound — obliged
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bound — certain
  10. charge — electricity
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. chip — for betting
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. charge — in control
  20. chip — to eat
  21. scale — size or range
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. charge — a price
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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