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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rule — a law
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rest — what's left
  7. charge — a price
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ground — the earth
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. charge — in control
  15. rest — a break
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rest — what's left
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wake — a trail
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rule — government
  24. pitch — completely

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