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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. shower — rain
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. charge — in control
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bound — obliged
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. shower — to wash
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. charge — a price
  17. bound — certain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. charge — electricity
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. pitch — completely
  24. squash — the sport

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