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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. charge — electricity
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rock — a stone
  7. file — a document
  8. bound — certain
  9. file — a line of people
  10. game — wild animals
  11. charge — in control
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bound — obliged
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bound — tied together
  21. file — a tool
  22. game — a match
  23. present — the time now
  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