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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. scale — in music
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rock — a stone
  8. roll — a cake
  9. charge — electricity
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rock — music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. charge — in control
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cold — not warm
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. scale — size or range
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. object — to protest
  22. charge — a price
  23. chair — a leader
  24. cold — an illness

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