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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. perch — the fish
  3. scale — size or range
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. sharp — clever
  8. game — wild animals
  9. staff — employees
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pop — music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. root — of a plant
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. root — the cause
  16. pop — to visit
  17. charge — a price
  18. game — a match
  19. staff — employees
  20. root — of a word
  21. scale — in music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pop — soda
  24. charge — in control

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