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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. scale — size or range
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. deal — to handle
  10. scale — in music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pop — soda
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pop — to visit
  19. kick — in football
  20. pop — music
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. charge — a price
  24. bowl — a dish

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