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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. scale — size or range
  4. chest — a box
  5. mug — a face
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. charge — electricity
  8. degree — from a university
  9. drill — a practice
  10. degree — temperature
  11. rock — music
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. charge — in control
  15. chest — of your body
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rock — a stone
  18. drill — army training
  19. charge — a price
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. degree — an amount
  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