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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. key — in music
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. object — to protest
  8. roll — a list
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. object — a thing
  15. key — the most important part
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bound — certain
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. foot — a measure
  20. object — an aim
  21. pound — a weight
  22. roll — a cake
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. charge — in control

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