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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cap — a hat
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cap — of ice
  13. charge — in control
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rule — a law
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. scale — in music
  20. fork — in a road
  21. charge — a price
  22. cap — a lid
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wind — moving air

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