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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rock — a stone
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — not warm
  9. charge — a price
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. file — a tool
  12. rock — music
  13. scale — in music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. file — a line of people
  16. scale — size or range
  17. charge — in control
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. file — a document

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