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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · field · rock · charge · firm · ball · mate · suit

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bound — certain
  4. mate — a friend
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mate — to breed
  7. suit — in cards
  8. field — farmland
  9. charge — in control
  10. firm — steady
  11. charge — a price
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. suit — clothes
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bound — tied together
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bound — obliged
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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