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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. charge — a price
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rule — government
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rule — a law
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. scale — in music
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. band — a music group
  20. charge — in control
  21. scale — size or range
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bat — the animal

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