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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pop — to visit
  3. charge — electricity
  4. drill — army training
  5. ground — the earth
  6. drill — a practice
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. ground — a position
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. tube — the underground
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — in music
  16. pop — music
  17. drill — the tool
  18. charge — in control
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. scale — size or range
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pop — soda
  23. charge — a price
  24. ground — crushed

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