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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rock — music
  3. file — a tool
  4. pound — a weight
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. file — a document
  10. rock — a stone
  11. charge — in control
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. charge — a price
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. date — the fruit
  24. file — a line of people

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