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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 120 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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. can — a tin
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. charge — in control
  10. mate — a friend
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. capital — a city
  18. cell — in biology
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. charge — electricity
  21. capital — money
  22. charge — a price
  23. cell — a phone
  24. can — a tin

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