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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. season — of the year
  3. charge — a price
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. object — a thing
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. charge — in control
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. sharp — clever
  12. object — to protest
  13. mark — a trace
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bound — tied together
  19. season — in sport
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bound — certain
  22. dip — to sink
  23. object — an aim
  24. mark — a grade

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