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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bound — tied together
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. charge — in control
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. spell — a short time
  8. firm — decided
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. spell — magic
  11. rule — a law
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bound — certain
  14. club — a group
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. firm — a company
  18. spell — letters
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rule — government
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bound — obliged
  24. firm — steady

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