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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. fall — the season
  5. can — a tin
  6. charge — electricity
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ball — a great time
  9. scale — in music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rock — music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fall — to drop
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. charge — a price
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. charge — in control
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ball — a dance
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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