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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. current — electric
  10. content — the amount
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. charge — a price
  13. current — of water
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. current — happening now
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bound — obliged
  22. charge — in control
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. content — happy

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