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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. charge — electricity
  4. scale — in music
  5. object — a thing
  6. pop — music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. charge — a price
  9. pop — soda
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a ring
  13. stand — to bear
  14. chest — of your body
  15. band — a music group
  16. charge — in control
  17. object — to protest
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. scale — size or range
  20. object — an aim
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chest — of your body
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. chest — a box

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