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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. band — a ring
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pass — a permit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. charge — a price
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. scale — in music
  15. band — a music group
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pound — a weight
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. charge — in control
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. nail — for a hammer

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