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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spell — letters
  7. ground — the earth
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. capital — a city
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. capital — money
  17. ground — a position
  18. rash — a series
  19. ground — crushed
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. charge — a price
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rash — hasty

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