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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: kid · bear · toast · bound · ground · charge · squash · pass

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. charge — a price
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. ground — crushed
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pass — a permit
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bound — tied together
  16. squash — the sport
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. ground — the earth
  20. kid — child
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. toast — bread
  23. ground — a position
  24. toast — the most admired

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