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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bound — certain
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bass — low music
  5. mark — a trace
  6. charge — a price
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ground — a position
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bound — tied together
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ground — crushed
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. charge — in control
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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