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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. charge — a price
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mug — to rob
  8. charge — in control
  9. bound — certain
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pit — a hole
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. charge — electricity
  16. clip — a video
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mug — a face
  20. present — the time now
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pit — in a race
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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