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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ground — a position
  4. charge — in control
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. scale — in music
  7. roll — a list
  8. present — a gift
  9. charge — a price
  10. scale — size or range
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. present — the time now
  14. roll — a cake
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ground — the earth
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. season — in sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — of the year
  23. present — there
  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