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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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. charge — electricity
  3. current — happening now
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. object — an aim
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. charge — in control
  14. current — electric
  15. bound — certain
  16. bank — for money
  17. current — of water
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bank — of a river
  20. squash — the sport
  21. charge — a price
  22. bank — for money
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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