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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 quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. staff — employees
  6. charge — electricity
  7. clip — to cut
  8. staff — employees
  9. charge — a price
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. charge — in control
  13. bore — to drill
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. staff — a stick
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. rock — music
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bore — to tire

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