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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. present — there
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. scale — size or range
  7. lean — to bend
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lean — thin
  14. present — a gift
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. scale — in music
  22. charge — a price
  23. present — the time now
  24. charge — in control

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