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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. charge — in control
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. charge — a price
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fork — in a road
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. sharp — clever
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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