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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. net — in sport
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. track — a path
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. net — after costs
  11. charge — in control
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. scale — in music
  14. net — for catching
  15. track — a song
  16. scale — size or range
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. charge — a price
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. track — to keep track
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bat — the animal

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