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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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. scale — in music
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bound — certain
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bound — tied together
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rash — a series
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. board — a committee
  22. bound — obliged
  23. charge — in control
  24. board — to get on

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