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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. file — a line of people
  3. charge — a price
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. charge — electricity
  7. scale — size or range
  8. face — part of the head
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. file — a tool
  11. charge — in control
  12. hand — help
  13. pop — soda
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. face — to confront
  16. file — a document
  17. face — to point toward
  18. hand — in cards

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