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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mate — a partner
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. charge — in control
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bound — tied together
  7. key — the most important part
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitch — completely
  10. field — farmland
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bound — obliged
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. charge — a price
  18. bound — certain
  19. track — a song
  20. field — a subject
  21. track — a path
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. key — in music
  24. field — for sport

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