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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. charge — a price
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. charge — electricity
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fine — high quality
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. track — a song
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. charge — in control
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. track — a path
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fine — all right
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. track — to keep track

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