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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. band — a music group
  4. charge — in control
  5. firm — steady
  6. charge — a price
  7. net — after costs
  8. bound — obliged
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. net — for catching
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fine — all right
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bound — certain
  16. wound — an injury
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. band — a ring
  22. firm — a company
  23. net — in sport
  24. firm — decided

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