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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stand — to bear
  4. charge — in control
  5. suit — in cards
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. court — of a king
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mark — a grade
  14. suit — to fit
  15. court — of law
  16. bound — certain
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. court — for sport
  24. suit — clothes

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