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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bass — low music
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. charge — a price
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. scale — in music
  10. file — a tool
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bass — the fish
  15. file — a document
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pit — in a race
  21. charge — in control
  22. scale — size or range
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bass — the instrument

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