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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · bass · fork · spring · charge · mate · row · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bound — obliged
  5. charge — in control
  6. mate — a friend
  7. row — a line
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. spring — the season
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bound — tied together
  17. charge — a price
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. charge — electricity
  22. row — to paddle
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bass — low music

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