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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: pass · mine · charge · court · suit · file · bound · mate

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. charge — in control
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bound — obliged
  8. court — for sport
  9. file — a document
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. file — a tool
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. court — of law
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. court — of a king
  18. bound — certain
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. suit — in cards
  21. charge — a price
  22. mate — a friend
  23. charge — electricity
  24. suit — clothes

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