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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. field — a subject
  3. bound — obliged
  4. rock — a stone
  5. clip — a video
  6. scale — in music
  7. clip — to cut
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. field — farmland
  12. charge — electricity
  13. scale — size or range
  14. roll — a list
  15. rock — music
  16. clip — for paper
  17. field — for sport
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bound — tied together
  21. roll — a cake
  22. root — the cause
  23. bound — certain
  24. charge — a price

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