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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rest — a break
  7. rock — music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. charge — in control
  10. bear — the animal
  11. squash — the sport
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. staff — employees
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rock — a stone
  18. kid — child
  19. bear — the animal
  20. charge — a price
  21. staff — employees
  22. squash — to crush
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rock — to move gently

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