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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bound — certain
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wound — an injury
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. prune — to trim
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rock — music
  14. chair — a leader
  15. charge — in control
  16. wound — an injury
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. charge — electricity

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