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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. charge — in control
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bound — obliged
  5. can — to be able to
  6. ball — a dance
  7. can — a tin
  8. cell — in biology
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stock — shares
  12. cell — a phone
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bound — certain
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — goods
  19. bound — tied together
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. shower — rain
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. charge — a price

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