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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pound — a weight
  4. land — a country
  5. bound — obliged
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. land — to come down
  9. rule — a law
  10. bound — certain
  11. spell — letters
  12. charge — a price
  13. rule — government
  14. land — ground
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. charge — in control
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. spell — a short time

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