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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. object — an aim
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. march — music
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. charge — in control
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. march — the month
  11. board — to get on
  12. object — to protest
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. snap — to click
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bulb — for light
  18. charge — a price
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. object — a thing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. board — a committee
  23. march — the month
  24. scale — in music

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