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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. scale — size or range
  3. charge — electricity
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. charge — a price
  6. toast — bread
  7. charge — in control
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. scale — in music
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rash — a series
  13. spring — of water
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. season — of the year
  17. spring — the season
  18. roll — a list
  19. fork — in a road
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. season — in sport
  23. roll — a cake
  24. fork — to eat with

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