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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. tube — a container
  4. wind — moving air
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. scale — in music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ground — the earth
  11. charge — in control
  12. can — a tin
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. scale — for weighing

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