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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. charge — electricity
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. drill — army training
  5. pop — to visit
  6. scale — in music
  7. drill — a practice
  8. band — a music group
  9. can — to be able to
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. scale — size or range
  12. content — the amount
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pop — music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. charge — a price
  19. content — happy
  20. drill — the tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. charge — in control
  23. can — a tin
  24. pop — soda

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