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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. land — ground
  3. rock — music
  4. land — to come down
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. charge — a price
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mark — a grade
  11. track — to keep track
  12. charge — in control
  13. race — humankind
  14. land — a country
  15. charge — electricity
  16. track — a path
  17. rash — hasty
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rash — a series
  20. scale — in music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. track — a song
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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