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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 120 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. scale — in music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. staff — employees
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. charge — a price
  14. bound — certain
  15. staff — a stick
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. staff — employees
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. scale — size or range
  21. charge — in control
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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