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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. charge — a price
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pit — a hole
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mark — a trace
  15. charge — in control
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. scale — in music
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bass — low music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bass — the instrument

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