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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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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: firm · charge · object · bound · wound · ball · rule · squash

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. object — a thing
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wound — an injury
  5. firm — steady
  6. charge — electricity
  7. object — to protest
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bound — certain
  10. charge — a price
  11. rule — a law
  12. bound — tied together
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wound — an injury
  17. object — an aim
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. ball — a dance
  20. charge — in control
  21. ball — a great time
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bound — obliged

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