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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. bound — tied together
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bound — certain
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mate — a friend
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. charge — a price
  15. toast — bread
  16. rush — hurry
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bound — obliged
  19. sharp — clever
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  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