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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 124 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. charge — a price
  4. pound — a weight
  5. can — to be able to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. scale — size or range
  9. can — a tin
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. can — a tin
  12. field — farmland
  13. charge — in control
  14. bulb — for light
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. drill — army training
  17. scale — in music
  18. field — a subject
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bulb — for light
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. field — for sport

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