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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pop — music
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mine — for digging
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pop — soda
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. pop — to visit
  13. sharp — clever
  14. charge — a price
  15. mark — a trace
  16. scale — in music
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. charge — electricity
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mark — a grade

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