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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. charge — in control
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. ground — a position
  6. staff — employees
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. file — a document
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. file — a line of people
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. file — a tool
  16. ground — crushed
  17. staff — employees
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. scale — in music
  20. ground — the earth
  21. charge — a price
  22. vault — a safe
  23. charge — electricity
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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