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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. spell — magic
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pop — music
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rash — hasty
  11. field — for sport
  12. degree — an amount
  13. field — a subject
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. spell — a short time
  17. degree — temperature
  18. spell — letters
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pop — soda
  23. rash — a series
  24. field — farmland

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