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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: ball · staff · bound · charge · dip · file · pop · bay

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. charge — electricity
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. charge — a price
  11. pop — soda
  12. bound — certain
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. dip — to sink
  16. charge — in control
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bound — obliged
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pop — music
  21. ball — a great time
  22. staff — employees
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. ball — a round shape

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