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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. scale — in music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stock — shares
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. charge — in control
  10. drill — army training
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. stock — goods
  16. drill — a practice
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. scale — size or range
  21. chest — of your body
  22. charge — a price
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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