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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fine — all right
  3. rock — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bound — tied together
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. charge — in control
  11. season — of the year
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. charge — electricity
  21. season — in sport
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. charge — a price
  24. squash — to crush

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