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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. suit — clothes
  3. scale — size or range
  4. spring — the season
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rule — government
  7. charge — a price
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cap — a lid
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cap — a hat
  13. craft — boats
  14. rule — a law
  15. race — a contest
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. race — humankind
  19. charge — in control
  20. suit — to fit
  21. race — the arms race
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cap — of ice
  24. suit — in cards

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