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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. saw — the tool
  3. scale — in music
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. charge — electricity
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. last — finally
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. scale — size or range
  18. spell — a short time
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — a price
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. clip — for paper
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stand — to bear

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