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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mate — a friend
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. drill — a practice
  6. charge — a price
  7. drill — the tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mate — a partner
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mate — to breed
  14. branch — a division
  15. net — in sport
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. row — a line
  18. saw — the tool
  19. net — for catching
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. net — after costs
  22. charge — electricity
  23. drill — army training
  24. scale — size or range

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