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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — size or range
  3. charge — a price
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. march — the month
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rest — a break
  14. scale — in music
  15. march — music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rest — what's left
  19. date — the fruit
  20. march — the month
  21. charge — in control
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stand — to bear
  24. date — on the calendar

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