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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stand — to bear
  6. scale — in music
  7. deal — to handle
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fork — in a road
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rest — a break
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. charge — a price
  20. tear — from crying
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. tear — to rip
  24. deal — a big deal

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