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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 did you ________________ them?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. drill — army training
  4. club — for dancing
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mug — a face
  12. spring — of water
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cue — a hint
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. cue — for pool
  20. charge — in control
  21. spring — the season
  22. cue — a signal
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for golf

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