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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bass — the fish
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. scale — in music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. charge — a price
  14. bass — low music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. game — a match
  17. rock — a stone
  18. charge — in control
  19. game — wild animals
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rock — music
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. sharp — clever
  24. scale — for weighing

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