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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. object — to protest
  4. rock — a stone
  5. charge — electricity
  6. object — a thing
  7. wake — a trail
  8. object — an aim
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cap — of ice
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. scale — in music
  20. rock — music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cap — a lid

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