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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. last — finally
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. face — to point toward
  11. charge — a price
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. last — final
  14. charge — in control
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. track — a path
  17. last — to go on
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bound — tied together
  20. face — to confront
  21. degree — from a university
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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