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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rest — what's left
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ball — a dance
  7. scale — in music
  8. march — music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. march — the month
  14. pitch — completely
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cue — a hint
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. charge — a price
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cue — a signal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rest — a break
  23. march — the month
  24. cue — for pool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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