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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bound — certain
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bound — obliged
  7. charge — a price
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. charge — electricity
  13. date — the fruit
  14. board — to get on
  15. bound — tied together
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. chip — for betting
  19. board — a committee
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mug — to rob
  23. charge — in control
  24. snap — to click

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