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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bound — obliged
  3. board — to get on
  4. root — the cause
  5. capital — money
  6. season — in sport
  7. mug — a cup
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. board — a committee
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. capital — a city
  13. bound — tied together
  14. charge — electricity
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. root — of a word
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bound — certain
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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