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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. charge — electricity
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. net — for catching
  8. mine — for digging
  9. net — after costs
  10. charge — in control
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bound — certain
  13. drill — army training
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. march — the month
  17. rush — hurry
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bound — tied together
  24. charge — a price

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