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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fine — all right
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fine — high quality
  19. race — humankind
  20. charge — in control
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. race — a contest
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mark — a grade

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