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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. charge — electricity
  3. firm — a company
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. bound — obliged
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. firm — decided
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. date — the fruit
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ground — a position
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ball — a great time
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. march — the month
  20. charge — a price
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. firm — steady
  24. charge — in control

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