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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. branch — a division
  5. scale — size or range
  6. ball — a great time
  7. scale — in music
  8. game — wild animals
  9. tube — a container
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. charge — in control
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mine — for digging
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. game — a match
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. charge — electricity
  24. branch — of a bank

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