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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. ground — a position
  4. charge — a price
  5. tube — a container
  6. ground — crushed
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. spring — of water
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. spring — the season
  16. mine — for digging
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. charge — in control
  20. spring — a coil
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. ball — a dance
  24. press — newspapers

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