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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 your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. sharp — clever
  4. charge — a price
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rash — hasty
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rash — a series
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bound — certain
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. charge — in control
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bound — obliged
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ruler — for measuring

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