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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bank — for money
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bank — for money
  11. cap — a hat
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mine — for digging
  21. scale — size or range
  22. charge — in control
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. mark — a trace

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