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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cap — a lid
  3. charge — a price
  4. present — a gift
  5. bound — tied together
  6. charge — electricity
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cap — a hat
  9. track — a path
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cap — of ice
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pop — to visit
  14. can — a tin
  15. track — a song
  16. charge — in control
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pop — music
  19. present — there
  20. can — a tin
  21. present — the time now
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bound — certain

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