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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. charge — electricity
  5. field — farmland
  6. bound — certain
  7. charge — in control
  8. cap — a lid
  9. charge — a price
  10. cap — of ice
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bound — obliged
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. field — a subject
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cap — a hat
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. chair — a leader
  21. drill — a practice
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. field — for sport
  24. bound — tied together

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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