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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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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. charge — a price
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mate — to breed
  5. scale — in music
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mate — a friend
  10. net — after costs
  11. charge — in control
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. net — for catching
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. net — in sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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