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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. clip — a video
  5. land — a country
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. land — to come down
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. clip — to cut
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. clip — for paper
  14. land — ground
  15. net — in sport
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. net — for catching
  20. stand — to bear
  21. charge — a price
  22. bound — certain
  23. fork — in a road
  24. net — after costs

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