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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. game — a match
  3. mug — a face
  4. ground — crushed
  5. charge — in control
  6. bore — to tire
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. firm — decided
  11. mug — to rob
  12. firm — steady
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ground — the earth
  17. firm — a company
  18. bound — certain
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mug — a cup
  21. charge — a price
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bound — obliged
  24. ground — a position

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