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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. charge — in control
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bound — certain
  6. charge — a price
  7. chair — a leader
  8. present — the time now
  9. squash — to crush
  10. present — there
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bound — tied together
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. present — a gift
  16. craft — boats
  17. squash — the sport
  18. craft — a skill
  19. roll — a cake
  20. charge — electricity
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. roll — a list

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