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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. hand — help
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bound — certain
  6. net — for catching
  7. vault — a safe
  8. sharp — clever
  9. hand — in cards
  10. net — in sport
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. ground — the earth
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bound — obliged
  18. net — after costs
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rock — music
  21. charge — a price
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. sharp — with an edge

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