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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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. march — music
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wound — an injury
  7. charge — in control
  8. club — for golf
  9. charge — electricity
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. march — the month
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fine — high quality
  14. club — a group
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. club — for dancing
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. scale — size or range
  20. charge — a price
  21. march — the month
  22. scale — in music
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fine — all right

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