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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bound — tied together
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bound — obliged
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. charge — in control
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rest — a break
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bank — for money
  21. rest — what's left
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bound — certain
  24. bank — for money

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