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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. scale — in music
  5. track — a path
  6. mug — to rob
  7. charge — a price
  8. scale — size or range
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stem — to come from
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mug — a face
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. track — a song
  17. charge — in control
  18. board — to get on
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. track — to keep track
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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