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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. saw — the tool
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fine — high quality
  10. charge — a price
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stock — shares
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fine — all right
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stock — goods

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