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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. roll — a list
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bound — certain
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. net — in sport
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. net — for catching
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. net — after costs
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. roll — a cake
  19. rule — a law
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rule — government
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  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