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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bound — tied together
  3. clip — for paper
  4. mark — a grade
  5. clip — a video
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. can — a tin
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. march — the month
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. can — a tin
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. march — music
  18. mark — a trace
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fork — in a road

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