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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. charge — a price
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a tool
  9. charge — in control
  10. file — a document
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rush — hurry
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitch — completely
  20. file — a line of people
  21. charge — electricity
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. scale — size or range

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