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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 124 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. charge — a price
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. charge — electricity
  14. track — to keep track
  15. scale — size or range
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. scale — in music
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. date — the fruit

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