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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. last — final
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. last — to go on
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bound — obliged
  8. lie — to recline
  9. root — of a plant
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. court — of law
  12. bound — tied together
  13. root — the cause
  14. court — for sport
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. land — a country
  18. root — of a word
  19. last — finally
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — certain
  22. court — of a king
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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