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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. charge — electricity
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bound — obliged
  6. season — of the year
  7. firm — decided
  8. swing — in golf
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. charge — in control
  11. bass — the fish
  12. swing — to play on
  13. firm — a company
  14. bass — low music
  15. season — in sport
  16. swing — music
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. firm — steady
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. charge — a price
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bound — tied together

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