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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bound — certain
  4. chair — a leader
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bound — tied together
  8. scale — in music
  9. file — a line of people
  10. land — to come down
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bound — obliged
  13. file — a tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. land — ground
  16. charge — electricity
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. land — a country
  19. charge — a price
  20. ball — a great time
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ball — a round shape

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