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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. charge — a price
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. snap — to click
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitch — completely
  14. charge — in control
  15. bass — low music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wound — an injury
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. charge — electricity
  24. scale — in music

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