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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pop — music
  11. can — a tin
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pop — soda
  14. can — a tin
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — in control
  21. object — a thing
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. charge — a price

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