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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 116 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 can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. scale — in music
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. track — a path
  5. rush — hurry
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. track — a song
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. charge — a price
  12. deal — to handle
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mark — a trace
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. shower — to wash
  18. track — to keep track
  19. shower — rain
  20. scale — size or range
  21. charge — in control
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mark — a grade

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