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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. scale — in music
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. scale — size or range
  19. charge — a price
  20. bound — obliged
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bound — certain
  24. bat — the animal

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